XenoWorlds
by Uniblades
Summary: Two years after the defeat of Zanza, Shulk, Robin, Cloud, and all their comrades take to the skies in a ship called the Skywind, and fly under The Cross of Unity, travelling this new and strange world. On their journey, they recruit many heroes from other times and places, and strive to create a united world. A story that crosses with about any franchise you can imagine.
1. XenoWorlds: Beginnings

**A/N: Hello all. This is my new story, titled XenoWorlds. This is a continuation of my previous two stories, but continues after the events of my latest story, Xenoblade Awakening. I'm pretty sure most of you coming to this story have read that previous story, but if you want to, check it out. Anyway, this story will be a compilation of short stories crossing over with many other franchises, be them from games, movies, TV shows, whatever. I will take any ideas people give me into consideration, but the more thought out they are, the better. I have a few crossovers in mind, but this chapter will be just the main characters of Xenoblade Chronicles, and the four characters from Fire Emblem that decided to live in Colony 9 with Shulk and everyone else: Robin, Lucina, Morgan, and Robina, Robin's female counterpart. Give me any suggestions you want for franchises to cross over.** **I hope you'll enjoy this!**

"Focus, Fiora!" Dunban yelled, swinging his sword in Fiora's direction. The two of them were training in the courtyard of their new house. Fiora brought up her two swords to block Dunban's incoming swipe, deflecting it to her side. "You may have grown in fighting style, but you're still sloppy!"

"I know, Dunban!" Fiora yelled, jumping in the air, swinging her right sword down on Dunban, who rolled and countered with a kick. Fiora jumped to the side, and ran forward, spinning with her swords extended out.

"Come on, Fiora!" She heard Morgan yell from above on the deck above the gigantic courtyard of their shared mansion. "You can do it!"

"Stop spinning, Fiora!" Melia yelled next to Morgan. "It will only make you vulnerable to attack!"

Fiora did so, but it already took its toll on Fiora. She was dizzy and dazed from spinning, and Dunban followed up with a kick into her side. She went flying into the wall, and she bounced off, falling to the floor, defeated.

"Dang." Morgan said. "You almost had him, Fiora!" Morgan jumped down, using her fire magic to slow her descent down. She had a black dress on, with a mini skirt and tights underneath. She wore a black cloak as well. She ran to Fiora's side, helping her up along with Dunban.

"What's the point anymore?!" Fiora yelled, throwing her swords to the ground, frustrated. "I'll never be as great a fighter as I was."

"It's true you aren't as powerful as what you were when you had the benefits of your Mechon body." Dunban said. "But if we're going to travel the world, we need to be the best we can possibly be. Let's stop for today."

"Fine." Fiora said, picking up her swords, spinning them in her hands, causing them to compact and fit into their sheaths on her sides. "Where's Shulk?"

"Where do you think he is?" Melia said. "Down below us, in the garage."

"All right. Thank you!" She turned to walk inside the mansion, which was to the north of Colony 9. The people insisted that they build this giant mansion for the eleven heroes who did so much to save them from Zanza. Fiora honestly didn't think they needed it, but she was still flattered just the same.

She reached the door that led down into the basement. The mansion was designed into three floors. The second floor had ten rooms, one for each of them, with Robin and Lucina sharing one. The main floor was the kitchen, dining room, everything for living purposes. There was also the courtyard, which the beautiful garden had a field for fighting. They used it for training. The basement was only one room. The huge garage Robin and Shulk transformed into a lab. They use it to build new inventions and test them. They're down there all the time, figuring out how to travel the globe without any casualties.

It's been two years since they stopped Zanza. They hadn't heard much from Ylisse since then. Lucina was a bit worried, but Robina insists that they're fine. The Army of the Emblem's main base of operations was there. They had the right defenses.

"Shulk!" Fiora yelled, finally walking down the spiral staircase to the door that held chaos beyond. She opened it to the sound of nothing, surprisingly. She saw Shulk and Robin in their makeshift "offices". Lucina was talking to Robin, eating. They had some sandwiches Lucina must have made for the three of them.

"Oh, Fiora!" Shulk said, looking in her direction. "Come here! I made something for you!"

"Oh, you did?" Fiora said, smiling. He hardly ever came up from the lab, so he never talked to her anymore. To think he was making something for her!

"He's been working on it for a while." Robin said, smiling.

"I put it here somewhere..." Shulk said, digging through the mess of his makeshift office. "Ah! Here it is!"

"What is it?" Fiora asked.

He pulled out a necklace, and put it over her neck. It had the symbol of Meyneth's Monado on it, right where it was when she had her Mechon body. "Oh..." Fiora said. "Thank you."

"You don't like it?" Shulk asked.

"No, I do. I just thought... You're down here all the time, and well...I just thought you were making something more than a necklace."

"Oh, it's not just a necklace." Shulk smiled. "You've been complaining about how you're Homs body is not as strong as your Mechon body."

"But..."

"Well, I made a compromise." He reached to the symbol in the center, and pushed it in. It started to glow, and metal shot out from all sides, covering her body, much to Fiora's surprise. It was over in three seconds. She now had armor that looked exactly like her Mechon body.

"Shullk!" Fiora yelled. "What did you do?"

"No need to worry." Shulk said. "You're body is still intact. But, as long as your necklace is turned on, you'll have the strength, agility, and powers of your Mechon body, but your Homs body is still intact underneath."

"Told you he was working on that for a while." Robin said. "That's not the only thing." He turned to Lucina. "I've made some adjustments to our suits we got in Habal." He pulled out some earrings with the symbol of wind on them.

"Let me guess." Lucina said. "If we all wear these earrings, they'll transform into our suits whenever we need them?"

"Sort of." Robin said. "Only with these, they'll transform on will. Just think it, and it'll transform." Robin was in a white jacket and jeans, wearing a purple shirt underneath.

"Robin." Lucina said, smiling. She had retired her royal armor in exchange for some casual looking clothes, with a blue tank top and a knee high shorts, and some flat sole shoes. "You've been in here for so long. What about your family? Don't you think they miss you? I know I do, for sure. Come up. Come outside. Let's go out and explore around the colony. Make sure that it isn't in danger. All eleven of us."

"Oh, please do!" Fiora said, her armor transformed back into a necklace. "Come on. It'll be fun!"

"A... All right." Shulk said. He grabbed a red bracelet and put it on his wrist. "Let's go, Robin!"

"OK." Robin said, putting on earrings with the pattern of a bolt of lightning. "Let's get Morgan and Robina, Lucina." They ran out of the garage, leaving Shulk and Fiora to follow.

"What was that you put on your wrist?" Fiora asked.

"Oh, it's a surprise." Shulk said. "If I have the chance, I'll show you."

They all met outside. "Shulk!" Reyn yelled, giving him a huge slap on the back. "I knew you were still alive!"

"Nice to see you too, Reyn." Shulk said. "All of you."

"So where are we going?" Sharla asked.

"Riki say that way!" Riki yelled, pointing north. He didn't live with the others, but rather with his children and wife, Oka.

"It's as good a way as any." Robina said. Both she and Morgan were wearing earrings Robin gave them. Robina wears a black jacket and jeans, with a blue shirt underneath.

"Then we go north." Shulk said. "We'll go until we can't see the colony anymore, than come back."

"Sounds good to me." Dunban said. "Let's go!" He walked forward with Melia, followed by the rest of them. The land was absolutely beautiful. So far scouts in the land that have successfully made it back have stated there are five continents. They decided to name these continents Mira, after Meyneth's previous name.

"It's so beautiful." Fiora said, walking next to Shulk. "Aren't you glad we came?"

"Yeah." Shulk said. "Just look at all these land formations! To think that...I did this!"

"No." Robin said. "Zanza's destruction did this. He wouldn't let the world evolve past the Bionis and Mechonis. If he still existed, we would all still be trapped on the Bionis, fighting for the rest of our lives."

"I agree." Lucina said. "But, we let the world move on. And, based on what we know, many worlds from other dimensions have all been formed together to make one big super planet. I can't wait to meet other heroes."

"Me too." Fiora said. "But, let's enjoy this before we embark on the journey we've been planning for two years."

"Help!" A voice yelled, running towards the eleven of them. "Help me! Monster!"

"What's wrong?" Sharla asked, catching what seemed to be a boy with pure white hair in her arms. The boy had bright green eyes, and his hair

"Monster! Coming this way!"

True to the boy's word, a giant, elephant-like creature came charging out into view, roaring, eyeing the boy with ferocity. "Don't worry." Shulk said, stepping up in between the boy and the monster. "We won't let it get to you."

"Right." Fiora said, pressing her necklace, causing her armor to surround her. Robin, Lucina, Morgan and Robina's suits also appeared from their earrings.

"Fancy suits you got there." Reyn said, pulling out his driver.

"Custom made." Robin said.

The monster had enough, and charged them. Shulk was the first in line to get hit, but he wasn't moving. "Shulk!" Fiora yelled. "Move!"

Right as the beast reached Shulk, the bracelet on his arm started to glow, and it transformed, and in his hands, the original Monado. He stuck the blade out, and activated it, spearing a piece of the beast's tough armor.

"Woah!" Reyn said. "Awesome!"

A symbol appeared in the center, a red symbol. As soon as it appeared in the Monado, a red aura surrounded him, and he swung, sending the beast flying into a rock formation.

"What are we waiting for?" Morgan asked. "Let's go!" She ran in, as did they all, except for Sharla, who stayed with the boy for a bit.

"What's your name?" Sharla asked.

"Seph." The boy said.

"Well, Seph. I need you to stay here. Stay out of trouble, all right?"

"I...I will!"

"Good." Sharla pulled out her rifle, and ran into the battle. Seph ran behind a rock, taking cover as they fought the beast.

Morgan blasted fire at the beast, but couldn't penetrate its strong skin. It roared, swinging its trunk at Morgan, sending her into the air. Lucina caught her daughter with wind magic, pulling her back into the fight.

Reyn was parrying with the beast, pushing it into a corner. "Now!" Reyn yelled,

A purple aura surrounded Shulk, and he jumped up, swinging down on the beasts back, destroying part of its armor. Robina gave cover with dark magic, making it hard for the beast to see. Then, it was hit from multiple directions. Angered, it stampeded all over the place, blowing away the dark mist Robina created. But nothing could prepare it for what was about to happen.

"Cannon drones!" Fiora yelled, and the drones on her backs flew up into the air, and blasted one large beam straight through its head. One giant hole through it, the beast fell down to the ground, dead.

"You did it!" Seph yelled from his cover.

"Friends did it!" Riki yelled. "Riki so happy!"

"Yeah!" Reyn said. "We haven't had a fight like that since before Zanza!"

"Zanza?" Seph asked. "Who's that?"

"Zanza's a god we killed." Reyn said. "He had so much power, but not enough to stop us!"

"Oh." Seph said. "Cool!"

"Wait." Dunban said. He turned to Seph. "Why was that monster chasing you? A more important question, why are you this far from the colony?"

"What colony?" Seph asked. "I don't know what you're..." His eyes widened. "They're here."

"Who's here?" Shulk asked.

"The bad people! The people wanting to kill me!"

Just then, a huge spotlight shined on the twelve of them. They all looked up to see a giant airship above them, with a light on them. A hatch opened on the bottom of the ship, and eight figures dropped down in front of them.

"What is the meaning of this?" Melia asked.

"Be quiet." A man said with a giant sword on his back. "My name is Cloud Strife, and you are harboring a fugitive."

"Who?" Shulk asked, Monado still in hand. The man named Cloud pointed to Seph.

"Don't let them take me..." Seph said, hiding behind Reyn.

"We won't." Reyn said. "You ain't getting this kid!"

"Fine." Cloud said. He pulled out his sword, and the other seven behind him also drew weapons. Then, as one, the eight mysterious enforcers charged.


	2. XenoWorlds: The 7th Fantasy

"Reyn!" Shulk yelled, bringing up his new Monado to Cloud's huge sword, stopping him. "You, Robina and Riki surround Seph. Do not let these people near the kid!"

"Got it!" Reyn yelled, falling back with Robina and Riki, defending Seph, who was cowering behind a rock.

"Damn them!" A large, black skinned man yelled. He lifted up his metal arm, which transformed into a machine gun. He yelled, firing at the four people in the back. Lucina jumped in the way, and created a whirlwind in front of her, stopping the onslaught of bullets. She ran forward, sword drawn, ready to attack the man with the gun arm.

"I'm coming, Lucina!" Fiora yelled, swords drawn, but was kicked in the side by a girl with extremely long hair.

"I don't think so." The new girl said, pulling on leather gloves. "Just turn the kid over, and we'll be gone."

"Why?" Fiora said, attacking the brown haired girl. "Why's he so important to you? He's just a kid!"

"You don't understand." A cat said, riding a large...thing. "He isn't just a kid." A large green circle appeared around the cat's feet, and a ball of lightning was in his hand. He threw it at the distracted Fiora, but Melia was able to blast the ball out of the air. She summoned some elements around her and engaged in combat with the cat.

"Melia!" Dunban yelled, but was stopped by an explosion of fire.

"Hey." A man yelled, a large spear in hand. "You, with the bad arm!"

Dunban turned to the man with the spear. "What do you want?"

The man lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth. "I'm just sayin'. A man like you, all old and crippled, shouldn't be in a battle with the best of the best."

"And who made you the 'best of the best'?"

"Well, I'll show you!" He jumped down, diving with his spear, directly at Dunban.

"Wow!" A girl with a large shuriken. "These people are pretty good! I mean, not as good as us, but still really good!"

"Shut up!" Morgan yelled, running at her, fire in her hands. The girl moved quickly behind her, and back in front, with a gem in her hand.

"Oh, pretty!" The girl examined the gem she stole from its slot on Morgan's armor. "What's it do?"

"Hey!" Morgan yelled. "Give that back!"

"Why? You're just a kid."

"I'm just a kid as you!" Morgan yelled in anger, and blasted fire at the annoying girl.

"Yuffie, please just focus." A suspicious looking man in a red cloak said. He pulled out a rifle and shot at Robin, who dodged and countered.

Sharla was in the background of this all, shooting at a dog with a red mane. "Hmm." The dog spoke. "They seem to be peacekeepers. They aren't attacking, but defending our goal."

"Yeah. Whatever." Cloud said, still tight in a battle with Shulk.

"Why do you want Seph?!" Shulk yelled, a purple aura around him, which he took into calling Buster. "He can't possibly be a huge criminal!"

"He isn't." Cloud said, jumping back. "It's what he will be that is so bad."

"What?!"

"Enough." A red circle appeared at Cloud's feet, and he yelled. "Omnislash!" Shulk was just barely able to put a yellow protective aura around himself before he was hit with an onslaught of sword strikes from Cloud. He fell to the ground, beaten.

"Shulk!" Fiora yelled, and ran towards Cloud, who turned just as Fiora swung her sword at his face, leaving a huge scar across his cheek.

"Cloud!" The brown haired girl said. She dashed up behind Fiora and kicked her back, launching Fiora into the wall next to Reyn.

"No!" Reyn yelled. "Hold on, I'm-" Reyn was cut off as he turned around to see Robina and Riki lying on the ground, and Seph gone, replaced by a new figure.

"It's too late..." Cloud said, looking up after cleaning up his wound. "Sephiroth. He's back."

"Who?" Lucina asked.

"Someone you don't want on your good side." The man with the gun arm said. "Or your bad side. Basically the End Bringer."

"Shut up, Barrett!" Cloud said, then ran at the newly reborn Sephiroth, swinging his giant sword at him. Sephiroth brought up his own blade, and easily pushed Cloud out of the way, and kicked the brown haired girl in the gut away from him.

"Who the hell's Sephiroth?!" Robin yelled, as Barrett yelled, firing his gun at Sephiroth. "Where did he come from?!"

"That's not important right now." The man with the spear said. "Right now we need to stop him. Are you good with technology?"

"Sure."

"Good enough. My name's Cid. Now that I've introduced myself, help me with this." Cid pulled out a cylinder container out of a bag he had around his back. "It's a trap for Sephiroth. We need to set it up."

"Got it." Robin knelt down next to Cid, doing as he said, as the battle raged on. Lucina and Morgan started shooting magic at Sephiroth, but he was quick, and got right in front of them, and they were able to brace themselves as Sephiroth swung with such force that it knocked them into the cat creature. He then dashed up to Barrett, slicing off his gun, and kicked him into the dog.

Melia fired ether at Sephiroth. "Mind Blast!" She yelled, but Sephiroth lifted his hand, and he seemed to absorb the blast in his hand. He laughed, as he aimed at Dunban, who was jumping in the air, and blast him with the ether, and Dunban went flying in the air, hitting Sharla. He then ran up to Melia and punched her.

"We're losing, here!" Cid said. He picked up a phone, and dialed in a number. "Hey! You f$!#ers up on the Highwind busy?! No?! Then start doing something to help!"

Aside from Cid and Robin, Reyn was the only one left capable of fighting Sephiroth. "Interesting." Sephiroth said. "The bash one is the last one left."

"Who you calling bash?!" Reyn yelled, and swung his driver at Sephiroth. Sephiroth easily sidestepped, and swung his sword down Reyn's right arm, and it went flying into the air. Reyn screamed in pain, and grabbed his stub of an arm.

"But you are the one I need." Sephiroth punched Reyn in the face, and Reyn fell unconscious.

"No!" Robin said, standing up from their work, but Cid grabbed his arm and stopped him. The airship above them, the Highwind, turned, and fired missiles at Sephiroth. Explosions happened in front of Sephiroth. Robin looked out in terror.

"Relax." Cid said. "Those weapons were specifically designed to hurt off springs of JENOVA. Your friend shouldn't be any more hurt. As for Sephir-" Cid stopped, for as the smoke cleared, There stood one figure, with one giant black wing completely covering him. "No!"

"A pitiful effort." Sephiroth said, unfurling his wing. He grabbed Reyn, and took into the air. "I would stay and fight, but I have a goal in mind right now." He took off to the sky, Reyn on his back, and flew straight towards the Highwind.

"No!" Cid talked into his phone. "Get out of here! Now! Get-"

Cid was too late. Sephiroth flew straight towards the Highwind, and with one quick slice, sliced the ship in two. The deafening explosion knocked Robin and Cid to the ground, where they finally let fatigue take them over.

* * *

"Robin..." A voice said. "Come on, buddy. Get up." Slowly, he opened his eyes, and accepted the hand in front of him. He was pulled up to meet Shulk's face.

"Welcome back to the world of the living." Cid said. "It took you a while to wake up."

"Oh... My head..." Robin replied. As his vision cleared, he saw debris all over from the Highwind. Dead bodies of the crew were strewn about.

Cid stood in the midst of the wreckage. "Damn... DAMN YOU SEPHIROTH!" Cid fell to his knees, and laid back on the ground.

That was when Cloud came up to Shulk and grabbed his hood, pulling Shulk in front of his face. "This is your fault!" Cloud yelled. "If you would've just let us have the kid, then none of this would've happened!"

"Cloud, calm down." The brown haired girl said, gently putting her hand on his shoulder. "They were helping us at the end. And besides, Sephiroth just took their friend. We should at least introduce ourselves."

Cloud sighed. "Fine." He put Shulk down, and stepped back next to the brown haired girl. "I'm Cloud Strife, as you know. This is my girl...uh...good friend, Tifa."

Tifa's eyes lit up at Cloud's slip up. "Pleasure to meet you."

"My name's Barret." The man with the destroyed gun arm said. "The strange cat over there's Cait Sith, and the mutt's Nanaki."

"Pleasure to meet you." Nanaki said.

"I'm Yuffie!" The girl with the shuriken said. "Creepy hood over there's Vincent!"

"And I'm Cid." Cid said, getting out of the wreckage. "Nice to meet you, blah, blah, blah... Now that you know us, what about you?"

"I'm Shulk." Shulk said. "This is my girlfriend, Fiora."

"Hi there!" Fiora said.

"I'm her brother, Dunban." Dunban said. "This is Melia, Sharla, and-"

"And Riki!" Riki yelled.

"I'm Robin." Robin said. "This is my wife, Lucina, and my kid Morgan."

"And I'm Robina." Robina said. "Though, personally, I want to change my name. Make it something more unique. I was thinking Reflet, or-"

"OK, Robina-" Robin said.

"It's Reflet now. I wasn't kidding."

"Oh, all right, 'Reflet'."

"And the one who was dragged off by Sephiroth was my best friend, Reyn." Shulk tried his best not to look at the bloody figure of Reyn's arm, still holding the driver Shulk made for him. "Now, who's Sephiroth? What's his plan?"

"Well, we don't know." Cloud said. "I suppose we need to start from the beginning." So, in the middle of the wreckage of the Highwind, they all took turns telling each of their stories.

"For about three years after the event of the Geostigma, Midgar and the entire land of Gaea was fine. We were cleaning up the stains Shinra and Mako Energy left on the world, when about a year ago, Shinra technology picked up a disturbance in the Lifestream."

"It was as if the entire Lifestream multiplied tenfold." Tifa said. "We'd never seen anything like it. Now that I think about it, maybe you guys had something to do with that."

"So, the Lifestream is like ether." Shulk said. "It flows through every living thing, and after we die, we become one with it. I'd like to research that someday... Well, enough on that. So, how was Sephiroth revived?"

"We don't know." Cloud said. "We're guessing now that when the world was recreated, multiple dimensions were forged into one large world. This is your theory, correct?"

"Yes." Robin said.

"Well, the Lifestream must've opened somewhere again. Sephiroth forged himself with the Lifestream before we killed him. Perhaps some form of his soul or DNA escaped, and made Seph."

"Well, it's a theory." Shulk said. "So what's his goal now? JENOVA was eradicated from this world. He can no longer access its power."

"True." Cait Sith said. "That's why he needed your friend."

"Sephiroth's goal has always been immortality." Tifa said. "When he was in the Lifestream, he could see everything that was happening. He knows about Zanza, and knows that your group has been to his realm, and has practically seen a god's realm. I bet you he's going to try to get information out of your friend Reyn to get to that Promised Land."

"Why?" Fiora asked. "The only one even left there is...Alvis..."

"Precisely." Nanaki said. "Your friend Alvis can see everything. If Sephiroth can somehow gain his power, he can become one step closer to being a god."

"So, now we ask you." Cloud said. "Will you help us once again defeat Sephiroth, save your friend, and this world?"

"I believe you already know our answer." Shulk said. "We're in."

"All right then." Reflet said. "So it's settled."

"Our first step is finding Sephiroth." Cid said. "He probably flew to your colony. We'd better hurry." As soon as Cid stopped talking, a loud siren started sounding.

They ran to the colony, speed in their steps. Part of the colony was in flames. "No..." Fiora said. "What kind of monster would do this?!"

"The kind who doesn't care for humans." Tifa said. "Come on!"

* * *

Sephiroth flew down on top of the tallest building in Colony 9, throwing Reyn onto the roof.

Reyn grimaced. "Whatever you want...I'm...not giving it to you!"

"I never expected you too." Sephiroth said. He knelt down next to Reyn, putting his hand near Reyn's face. "I learned a few tricks while my conscious flowed through the Lifestream. Now is a time to use one."

Reyn's muscles tightened, and his breathing shifted into stress. "You see a flame." Sephiroth said. "It's engulfing your home."

"Shut...up..."

"Your parents are inside. Your little brothers and sister as well. You're too small and helpless to do anything."

"I..."

"You joined the Defence Force to stop anything like that again. Didn't work out too well, no?"

"Ngh..."

"You're fighting these dragon-like creatures. You're entering... Prison Island..." Sephiroth opened his eyes. "Ah, Prison Island. That's where I must go." Sephiroth's hand started to glow with flame. "Fire seems to be your enemy, huh? Fitting that your enemy will be the one to kill you." He dropped the fireball, and flame surrounded Reyn, and Sephiroth took off into the sky, flying to the remains of the Bionis in the distance.

* * *

"There you are!" Miqol yelled, hovering towards the newly arrived Shulk. "Who're you new friends?"

"Miqol!" Shulk said. "No time to explain. Where's Reyn? What happened?"

"Reyn's fine. We got him out of the flames before they could do much damage to his body. At least, much compared to what he had before the fire."

Sharla ran up then. "Where is he now? Tell me!"

"We sent him to your home. You have a health care section there, you know!"

"I gotta get there!" Sharla turned around, and bolted down the road faster than anyone could.

"What's up with her?" Yuffie asked.

"Reyn and Sharla..." Morgan said. "It's a strange relationship, let's just leave it at that."

"Anything we can do here?" Lucina asked Miqol.

"We have it covered." Miqol said. "Zhan was able to reprogram some Mechon for fighting fire. They sure are quick, and the flames only burned a small portion of buildings. Nothing to irreparable. Go see Reyn. He probably needs his friends more than anything."

"All right." Reflet said. "Come on."

* * *

"Reyn... You're gonna be OK..."

"Sh-Sharla?"

"Yes Reyn, it's me."

"I feel...pain...on my arm..."

"That's normal. Something...something happened to your arm. Just relax and let me do this."

"Do what...Agh!"

"Sorry! I haven't done this at all."

"I sure wish Aerith was still... Oops!"

"Who was that?"

"Oh, she's...a newly acquired friend."

"Is...everyone here?"

"Yes. We all are."

"Shulk?"

"You're going to be all right Reyn. Who else will watch my back? Sharla, are you almost done?"

"Yeah, I am. And...there."

Reyn opened his eyes. "All right Reyn." Sharla said. "I need you to do some things for me. Try moving your right arm."

Reyn obliged. But, it didn't feel natural. It felt stiff and awkward. "It feels weird..."

"Mine did too." A buff guy said at a table next to him, where Robin was fixing what looked to be a robot hand. "You'll get used to it."

"Get used to it? What happened?"

"You're arm was chopped off." Reflet said. "We had to make a mechanical arm for you."

"A...mechanical arm..." Reyn looked down, and saw his right arm was completely stainless steel. "Oh..."

"But, there is a good side." Sharla said. "With your new arm, you can make it transform into weapons, just like Barrett over there! If you but your hand into a fist, your hand will transform into a club. If you put your hand into a gun shape, it'll transform into a sub machine gun. And when you put it into a sword shape, a sword! But, we'll need to do some tests first."

"My arm..."

"I know you're going through a loss of your arm," Cloud said, walking up. "But we need answers. Do you know where Sephiroth went?"

"I... I think he said something about Prison Island... What's he gonna do there?"

"No..." Shulk said."

"What?" Tifa said. "What is it?"

"Prison Island is a place on Bionis." Fiora explained. "It is connected to the world of Zanza. Where Alvis lives."

Everyone was silent. Sharla was still doing tests on Reyn's new arm. "So what are we waiting for?" Cait Sith said. "Let's just go to that Prison Island already!"

"Well you see..." Dunban said. "Prison Island is inside the Bionis, The Bionis is out in the sea. In order to get in, we need to get on the Bionis. In order to get on it, we need a ship."

"Which we now don't have, thanks to Sephiroth." Cid said. "So, what do we do now?"

"I may have the answer." Robin said. "Shulk and I have been working on something big in the basement."

"Great." Reyn said, jumping up, tests complete."I've been itching to get a fair smack down with that Sephiroth guy!"

They all went downstairs, and Shulk and Robin cleared an area in their workspace. "Fiora, could you go over there and pull that switch?" Shulk asked, pointing to a switch on the wall. Fiora obliged, and when she pulled it, two doors on the floor opened up, and a freight elevator lifted up, revealing a large ship with a sleek design.

"We've been working on this for a while now." Robin said. "It's a way to travel around the world and have new people join us on a journey. We never figured out a way to make it infinitely grow, but now with the new discovery of Materia, I believe we have a solution."

"Well, what are we gonna call this fine looking ship?" Cid ask, looking at the ship in awe.

"I was thinking the Skywind, after the loss of the Highwind." Shulk said.

"Sounds good enough to me!" Cid said. "Just show me what you want to do with the Materia, and I'll do it!"

"While you three are doing that," Cloud said. "We'll equip ourselves with Materia, and prepare ourselves for battle."

"Sounds good." Shulk said. "All right! Let's get to it! We've all had a hand in making this new world. Now it's time to protect it!"

* * *

"All right newbies!" Yuffie yelled. "You don't know anythin' about Materia, so I'm hear to tell you!"

"Please be serious, Yuffie." Vincent said, leaning against a wall in the garage.

"All right, fine, Vincent! Materia are magical orbs that allow you to do insane things, such as magic attacks like fire, ice, healing, you name it. But more rare Materia are Summons. They allow you to, you guessed it, summon monsters that will fight with you. We have dragons, bulls, serpents, everything!"

"Interesting." Dunban said. "We don't have much time, however. How do we use Materia?"

"Here." Vincent said. He laid out fifty-five Materia out on the table. "Everyone can have up to five Materia in their body. What you do is you pick one up, and put it to your skin, preferably your arm. Once you do, it will fuse instantly with you, and that ability will become yours. Don't worry, it's painless."

"But it won't be for the enemy!" Yuffie yelled.

"Sure." Cait Sith said. "Anyway, we have eleven Summon Materia extra, so each of you will pick one Summon. Got that?"

"Sure do." Morgan said. She was the first one up to the desk, and immediately picked the Summon labeled Ifrit. "Fire, right?"

"Yes." Nanaki said.

"Good for me." She finished picking her Materia, and let everyone else pick their Materia.

All this time, leaning next to the ship, Cloud held a white flower in his hand. Tifa came and leaned next to him, grabbing his free hand. "I miss her too." Tifa said. "But if she were here, she would be proud of all we've done."

Cloud said nothing. "Cloud!" Shulk yelled. "I've finished with your weapons!"

Cloud and Tifa walked over. "What'd you do?" Cloud asked.

"I've made them compatible with gems." Shulk grunted as he picked up Cloud's Fusion Sword. "How do you swing this thing around?!"

"Will."

"Well, anyway, our gems are similar to your Materia, but instead of giving you attacks, they boost areas where your lacking, such as durability or strength. We got a vault of them right here in the ship, labeled to strength and type. Just put the three you want in each of the slots on the handles. Don't worry, Tifa. I made your weapons compatible as well. All of yours."

"Thank you." Tifa said. "Is the ship almost done?"

"Yep!" Cid yelled from inside.

"Alvis should be fine." Shulk said. "Prison Island is heavily guarded. Even if Sephiroth is as strong as you say, it will still take him a bit to get through all the defences. But it's still best to leave as soon as possible."

"And...done!" Robin said. He stepped out of the ship, dirtied. "We're ready to leave! Everyone good to go?"

"Yes dad!" Morgan yelled. She was holding five Materia in her hand for Robin. "Let's go back to Prison Island!"

"All right, everyone on the ship!" Cid yelled.

Robin and Shulk sat down in the cockpit of the ship. "Have you ever flown a ship before?" Shulk asked Robin.

"No, but I was a dragon for a bit. Does that count?"

"I don't think that's the same thing."

"Well, there's a first for everything!" Robin pushed a button on the top of the roof, and the courtyard above them opened up, leaving a clear path for the ship to take off.

"Everyone, we're taking off." Shulk spoke into an intercom. "Next stop, Bionis!" The Skywind took off for the first time, and flew towards Bionis.

"Activating autopilot." Robin said, pushing in a combination of buttons. "We'll be at Bionis in a few minutes."

"So, Cid." Fiora asked. "What exactly did you three do with the Materia?"

"Glad you asked." Cid said. "We had some extra Transform Materia sitting around. Somehow, Shulk was able to essentially reprogram the Materia, and put it into the ship! So, now this ship is always transforming, making new rooms when we tell it to, and shrinking us and some rooms to have the ship keep its shape. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe."

"Interesting." Melia said. "A way to have heroes join us on our journey, while making infinite room on the ship. Ingenious!"

"Sure is." Shulk said, walking down into the main room of the ship. "Best thing we've invented. But, we can't focus on that. Right now, Sephiroth is our goal. We're almost to Bionis. Now it's time for the real battle against Sephiroth. Everyone ready?"

"Hell yeah!" Barret yelled. "If Sephiroth is showing his stupid face again, it just means I can bash it in again!"

"Well, that's one way to put it." Reflet said. "But I personally want to meet Alvis. You ten got all the fun last time!"

"You were leading an entire army of Mechon, High Entia, Homs, Nopon, and the Army of the Emblem." Lucina pointed out. "And you say we had all the fun?"

"Good point."

The ship shuddered. "You have reached your destination." The voice of the ship said.

The bay doors opened, and the nineteen of them walked out, to find a huge hole in the chest of the Bionis. "Big hole! Big hole!" Riki yelled.

"Looks like Sephiroth was able to get inside." Reyn said.

"No doubt he's reached Prison Island by now." Nanaki said.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Cloud said. He was the first to jump down before Shulk could warn him about the fall.

"A bit reckless, isn't he?" Shulk asked Tifa.

"Yeah, he is." Tifa smiled. Then she jumped down, then one by one, everyone entered into the Bionis once more.

"Hold on!" Sharla yelled. "It may be a rough landing!"

"Ow!" They heard Cloud from below, followed by Tifa, and soon, everyone was on a pile on the steps of Prison Island.

"Get off!"

"Hey!"

"Watch the hands!"

"Sorry, Tifa... Why do you have so big..."

"Shut up!"

"Ow!"

Eventually, everyone got themselves situated, and standing in front of the giant doors of Prison Island. They walked in, and Shulk's eyes widened. "No!" Shulk yelled. He ran past the bodies of dead animals, straight to the pool of the dragon, where Alvis lay motionless.

"Shulk..." Alvis said.

"Alvis, come on. Stay with me!"

"I apologise."

"You don't have to-"

"The one winged angel got the Monados."

"What?!"

"Why do you still have the Monados?!" Lucina exclaimed.

"You can't...destroy the tools of creation without...without destroying the world..."

"The Monados..." Robin said. "Shulk's Monado created this world using the power of the other four. They are the source of power for this world. If they're gone, our world is too."

"Exactly..." Alvis coughed up blood. "My time as seer...is up..."

"Alvis, don't say that." Shulk said. "We can save you. We have a new ship, with a medical bay. A good one at that! We can-"

"Shulk, you know I am not a normal living being. I can't be saved. A new seer must be chosen."

"Alvis, you can't..."

"I'm a lost cause, Shulk. You know that. At least let me..." Alvis got into a coughing fit, and couldn't speak anymore. Instead, he raised his bloody hand, and put it to Shulk's head. Light formed around the two of them, and Alvis laid completely still, no longer breathing, in Shulk's arms.

"Shulk?" Fiora asked. "Are you all right?"

Shulk looked up, and a glow from his eyes faded. "I'm fine." Shulk said. "But Alvis told me something before he died." He looked at Cloud. "He said you would like this."

"Me?" Cloud asked.

Shulk lifted up Alvis's body, and put it into the pool of water. As Alvis's body sank, green light started flowing around Alvis. "I need that flower." Shulk said, pointing to the flower Cloud had in his pocket.

"Why?"

"Just trust me!" Cloud obliged, and Shulk threw the flower into the water. He ran out just as a flash of green light blinded them all.

When the light faded, Shulk went into the water, and dove down. When he emerged out of the water again, in his arms was a female body, with long brown hair, and a pink dress and red jacket.

"Ae...Ae..." Cloud said, speechless.

"Aerith!" Tifa exclaimed, running to Shulk helping Aerith out of the water. "But...how?"

"Alvis was like the watchmen of this world." Shulk explained. "He can see everyone's thoughts, and had a sense of anything that could possibly happen in the future. He also was connected to the Lifestream. He saw you all missed Aerith, and decided to use the Lifestream and his own body to bring her back.

"...Aerith?" Cloud asked, letting the newly reborn Aerith rest on him. "Do you-"

"Cloud Strife." Aerith said, eyes opening with that bright intensity. "It's been so long."

"Aerith!" Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Nanaki, Cait Sith, Cid, Yuffie, and Vincent all came in and saw the dead girl revived.

"It has..." Cloud said, giving one of his rare smiles. "It has been a long time..."

They helped Aerith get used to walking. "I have missed you all, so, so much..." Aerith said.

"So what was it like?" Yuffie asked. "Being dead?"

"Not good." Lucina said. "It's an emptiness, something you wouldn't like."

"Yes..." Aerith said. "That's...exactly... Who are you? Who are all of you?"

"Sorry to interrupt..." Shulk coughed. "But Alvis gave me something as well."

"That glowing in your eyes..." Robin said. "Does that mean...?"

"Yes." Shulk said. "Alvis has now officially made me the new seer of the world."

"So, you have the power you gave up once more?" Fiora asked.

"Not exactly." Shulk said. "I can see the passage of fate, and every possible solution, for every living thing."

"If that's the case, can you see Sephiroth?"

"I'm not sure." Shulk said, sitting down and closing his eyes. "He wasn't born naturally into this world...but I should..." Shulk opened his eyes. "Gah!"

"What's wrong, Shulk?" Fiora asked, running to his side.

"No, it's just... It's strange to see everyone's thoughts, and futures. All at once, I might add."

"What do you mean, 'future?'" Barret asked.

"Well, the future isn't written." Shulk explained. "When I delve into the power of the seer, I can see every possible outcome based on our decisions. When the time for the decision has passed, more paths close, and new ones open. It's like a tree branch that just keeps extending for every person. Enough on that. Now we need to find Sephiroth, and the Monados." Shulk closed his eyes again, and in a few minutes, Shulk opened his eyes. "He's now in the cathedral." He said. "We need to hurry!"

"All right." Aerith said. "Cloud and Tifa briefed me on what's going on now. Pleasure to meet you, Shulk. Now let's go!"

"Wait." Cloud said. "You need a weapon."

"I got one." Robin said, closing his eyes, and reaching out, where his hand reached a pocket dimension where he stored excess materials. He retracted his hand with a magic staff in it. "Here you go!"

"Thank you, Robin." Aerith said.

"All right. Come on, we need to move!" Reflet yelled.

"The cathedral should just be beyond this portal." Shulk said. He let everyone pass, then looked to the pool. "Goodbye, Alvis. We'll miss you." Then he walked through the portal, ready for a new battle against a new foe.

* * *

"Sephiroth!" Cloud yelled, pulling out his Fusion Sword.

"Ah, Cloud." Sephiroth said, turning around and smiling. "Three years, hasn't it? Since you beat me for the second time?" He was standing in the middle of a circle he made from the five Monados.

"The Monados!" Morgan said.

"What are you doing?!" Shulk yelled. "Only a god can use the power of the Monados!"

"Precisely." Sephiroth said. "The Monados are weapons are creation, correct? They can create life as well."

"But only if you're worthy of using them."

"Yes, only a god can use them. But did you know that those who are chosen by gods can also use them? Like...disciples?"

Dunban's eyes widened. "Dickson!"

"Yes, Dickson." Sephiroth said. "Sadly, he died, but I was able to salvage some DNA of his." Sephiroth put on a glove that looked to be made of Homs skin.

"You wouldn't!" Shulk said. "You'd only be able to use one blade at a time. You wouldn't be immortal, org all powerful!"

"Did you think that was my plan?" Sephiroth reached down and touched all of the five Monados, and activated them. "Why go through all the trouble of becoming immortal again, when I can just revive someone that already is immortal and merge with him?"

"Zanza!" Robin yelled.

"Yes, him." The Monados started circling around Sephiroth, and the ground underneath him exploded.

"I'm...alive?"

"Zanza! I come to you with a deal. You may be able to use my body as a vessel, reviving yourself, but in exchange, you must share it with me and help me achieve immortality!"

"Who speaks to me?"

"Sephiroth, Zanza. I have the five Monados here. You may be able to use them, as long as you accept my offer."

"Don't let him get away with this!" Shulk yelled, and pulled out his Monado, leaping towards Sephiroth, but was immediately pushed away by an invisible field.

"That voice..." Sephiroth said from the opening in the Lifestream. "That's Shulk! The traitor. Very well, Sephiroth. You have my interest. We will put this to the test."

"Thank you, Zanza." Sephiroth said. The Lifestream exploded around Sephiroth, engulfing him in ether.

"Move!" Aerith yelled.

"Hahaha..." Sephiroth laughed. A flash of light came from the center, and Prison Island itself seemed to disintegrate in the light, leaving just a land of clouds.

* * *

"Where are we?!" Melia asked.

"In Sephiroth's heaven, once again." Cloud said. "But where-"

"Shulk!" A voice yelled from above. Everyone looked up, where a large figure started flying down. "I have been waiting for this."

"Zanza!" Shulk yelled.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud yelled at the same time.

"Correct." Both Zanza and Sephiroth's voices said. "We are now one. One mind and body. Zanphiroth, if you will." Zanphiroth had one large wing on his back, with his face part Zanza, part Sephiroth. In both of his hands was Shulk's god Monado and Sephiroth's blade. In addition to that, where his lower body was supposed to be, it was replaced with four more arms, each holding one of the other four Monados. Below that was a pile of white angel wings. Sephiroth had finally achieved his goal of immortality.

"Shulk, what do we do?" Reyn asked.

"We fight." Shulk said.

"Thought so." Reyn said. "Let's put this new arm to use!" His arm transformed into a gun, and he started firing at Zanphiroth.

"Now you're talking!" Barret said. "Let's kill this son of a b!%$*!" Barret joined Reyn, and fired from different directions.

"Aerith, you and Sharla stay back." Cloud said.

"But, Cloud-"

"I already lost you once! I don't want to lose you again."

"Oh...understood." Aerith fell to the back, where Sharla was waiting and firing from a distance.

"Come on, everyone!" Cloud yelled, running forward with Tifa and everyone.

Zanphiroth laughed. "It's too late. Each of you may have had a hand in killing us, but together, we are unstoppable!"

"Cloud!" Shulk yelled.

"Right." Cloud said. He pulled his blade in half, and threw the other to Shulk. Shulk jumped into the air, and threw Cloud's sword at the human part of Zanphiroth. He blocked, but Shulk came down, Buster aura around him, swinging directly at his head. But, Naga's arm came up and smacked him out of the way.

Cloud and Tifa came up from behind, Cloud grabbing the other half of his blade, and sliced at his back. Tifa jumped off of his blade and came punching down on Zanza's arm. But, Zanphiroth punched her off, and Cloud came up and caught her, retreating.

Reflet blasted darkness at Zanphiroth's face, temporarily blinding him. "Now, Lucina!" She yelled.

Lucina jumped up, boosting her jump with wind magic, and landed right in front of Zanphiroth. By then, Reflet's magic wore off, and Lucina was dueling with Zanphiroth's human part. Melia used ether to launch Dunban up to help Lucina fight. Melia then proceeded to join Barret, Reyn, Sharla, Riki, Vincent, and Aerith in the back, blasting Zanphiroth with magic. Tifa and Shulk finally recovered, and with Fiora, Morgan, Robin, Reflet, Cid, Yuffie, Cait Sith, Nanaki, and Cloud, they attacked the other four arms.

"Gah!" Zanphiroth yelled. "Enough of this!" He summoned smaller clones of him, attacking everyone on the ground, and hit Lucina and Dunban off of him, causing them to bounce on the ground.

"All right, if that's how you want it." Reyn said. He transformed his hand into a sword, and dashed in to attack Zanphiroth. Everyone followed his lead.

The only one who stayed behind was Shulk and Robin.

"Come on, Shulk!" Robin said. "What's wrong?"

"We're gonna lose." Shulk said. "The only reason we won last time was because I used my own Monado to kill Zanza. Now he has it."

"Well, what can we do?"

"We need some way to...trap him..."

"Trap him?"

"We can't kill him, and we can't destroy the Monados. If we can put Zanphiroth into a trap, we save the world without destroying it!"

"I think I have a solution." Robin pulled out the trap him and Cid were working on before. "Is this big enough?"

"Not for a god!"

"Well, what do you think we need to do?!"

Shulk grabbed the cylinder trap, and took a look at it. He ripped a few wires out of their place. "Grab these."

"What are you doing?"

"You control electricity, right?"

"Yeah. So?"

"Just follow my lead."

"Hellfire!" Morgan yelled, summoning Ifrit. Once Ifrit came, it surrounded itself with fire, and charged towards Zanphiroth. However, with Meyneth's Monado, it sliced down, effectively killing the summon. "What the...?!"

"A pitiful effort." Zanphiroth said. It swung Grima's Monado at Morgan, causing her to retaliate. Cloud jumped into the air, swinging down from behind, but Zanphiroth's wing came back and sharply hit Cloud back, causing him to skid next to Shulk and Robin.

"Ah, Cloud!" Shulk said. "I need you for this."

Cloud sat up, grimacing. "I hope your plan's good."

"It will be."

"Grah!" Zanphiroth yelled, and flew into the air. "Enough of this pitiful effort!" Swinging all six blades together, he created a lightning storm, and a circle of fire around everyone but Robin, Shulk and Cloud.

"Die!" Zanphiroth yelled, and came flying down, causing an explosion, knocking everyone out except for Shulk, Cloud and Robin.

"Anytime now, Shulk!" Robin yelled.

"All right, Cloud, now!" Shulk yelled.

"Got it." Cloud ran up to Zanphiroth, cutting off one of the wings on the bottom.

"Gah!" Zanphiroth turned around. "Cloud Strife. Pleasure to meet you, as always."

"Hello, Sephiroth. Ready for Round Three?"

"I don't have time to mess around with the likes of you."

"Well, I'm the only one here, aren't I?" A red circle formed around Cloud, and he yelled. "Finishing Touch!"

A tornado surrounded Zanphiroth, pulling him towards Shulk and Robin. "Robin, now!" Shulk yelled.

Robin grabbed the wires and transferred as much electricity into it as he possibly could. That was when Shulk opened the lid, and a huge void emitted from it. Quickly, Shulk put a speed aura around himself, and ran and grabbed Cloud, pulling him out of the way.

Even with his tremendous power, Zanphiroth couldn't withstand the pull of the trap. "No... No! We are immortal. You cannot-" He was cut off as he was finally sucked into the portal, Monados and all. The portal was still active, though.

"Hurry...Shulk!" Robin yelled. Shulk fought the pull of the vortex, getting closer and closer, lid still in hand, until finally, he was able to put it on, closing off Zanphiroth forever. Fatigue took the three of them over, and they all fell down, asleep victors.

* * *

"Come on, wake up." Familiar voices said. "We've won!" Shulk opened his eyes. All nineteen of his friends stood above him, with an open sky above them. Shulk sat up, finding he was on the top of the Bionis.

"Shulk!" Fiora yelled, grabbing him with might. "You're awake!"

"Woah! Yeah, I am." Shulk said. He looked into Robin's hand, and saw the trap Zanphiroth was in. "You still have that?"

"Well, yeah." Robin said. "Best to keep it with us and make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands, right?"

"Oh, yeah." Shulk said. He sat up, and saw Colony 9 in the background. The Skywind was right behind him. "So, we won?"

"Of course we won, silly!" Fiora said. "Why do you think we're here?" She saw the worried look on Shulk's face. "What's wrong?"

"No, it's just..." Shulk said cautiously. "I told you all I can see everything now, right? Well, there's so much more pain, so much I can't stop."

"Well, if you can see the future, what's our future, Shulk?"

"That remains yet to be decided." He stood up, and turned to Cloud and his friends. "Thank you all so much. You didn't have to do any of this, protecting our colony, stopping Sephiroth..."

"What, you think we were just gonna let Sephiroth destroy the world?" Cait Sith asked. "No way!"

"I shouldn't ask you about this, but..." Shulk turned to everyone. "I have decided. I will travel this world, find the new people and species of this strange world. All of the new lands. We're taking this journey no matter what, but..." He sighed. "Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Aerith, Yuffie, Vincent, Cid, Cait Sith, Nanaki... Will you accompany us on our journey?"

"I will." Nanaki said. "Ever since we found out about this new world, I've been interested to hear more. This is my opportunity to find out more."

"Hell yeah I'm going!" Barret said. "I've always wanted to travel! I can even tell Marlene about all of the stuff I'll find!"

"I want to go!" Yuffie yelled. "Maybe they'll have pretty stuff to steal!"

"Hmm." Vincent said. "Sounds...intriguing. I'm in."

"Yeah." Cait Sith said. "This may only be a puppet body, but I don't care! I can still see everything from it! I'll go!"

"I'll go too." Cid said. "After all, you need a pilot! And, who knows? Maybe I'll achieve my dream of spaceflight!"

"I want to go!" Aerith said. "I just want to meet new people, new cultures, and help them in any way I can!"

"So then, I guess I'm going." Tifa said. "I just want to see how other people fight, and learn from them! Cloud?"

Cloud sighed. "I...guess it sounds like fun. Maybe we can stop as much evil as we possibly can. Sounds like we're all in, Shulk. When are we leaving?"

Shulk smiled. "Right now, of course. We'll stop by Gaea, and you can grab anything you want that. After that, who knows? We may see ocean for a while, but I have a feeling we'll find population soon after."

"Sounds good!" Fiora said. "Let's go!"

"Wait, Fiora." Shulk said. "This...is...something I've wanted to do for a while now, but..." Shulk sighed. "Robin, if you will."

Robin smiled. "Sure thing." He reached into the pocket dimension he created and pulled out a small case. He handed it to Shulk.

"Fiora..." Shulk said, kneeling down.

"Shulk...you're not..." Fiora said, eyes tearing up.

"I love you, Fiora." Shulk said. "We're 20 now, and have matured far faster than we should have. I'm...not sure about a lot of things...even though I can see the future, that doesn't mean it will happen. But, there is one thing I'm sure about... I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Not as a friend, but as a wife. How about it?"

"I..." Fiora burst into tears. "Yes! Of course! Do you know how long I've been waiting for this?!"

Shulk smiled. "I'm...glad you're happy!" They embraced, now engaged.

"So happy..." Robin said.

"Yeah..." Tifa said, grabbing Cloud's hand, who blushed.

"So, which way's Gaea?" Robin asked.

"I-It's west of here." Cloud said. "After that, I don't know where to go."

"We'll go north." Shulk said. "I...have a feeling about that way."

"All right then." Lucina said. "North of Gaea it is. Let's get going!"

"Just so you know, Gaea... It might not be full of fresh air at the moment." Cid said. "Bunch of pollution, all that."

"Ah, I see." Dunban said. "No worries."

As they boarded the Skywind, Shulk was the last one to get on. He stared out to Colony 9, and smiled. Now, their journey has officially begun.

He turned to the ladder, and just as he was climbing, a vision appeared in his head.

 _"Ruby, go!" Shulk yelled to a small girl, about 15, wearing a red hood. He was sparring with a man who had guns on his feet. "Get as far away from here as you can!"_

The vision changed scenes. _Shulk was on the ground, bloody, tied up and being held up by the same man as before, and on his other side, a girl with green hair. Behind him was a girl with pink and brown hair, a man with a cane, orange hair, and a bowler hat, and another man with red hair and wearing a mask of a monster._

 _In front of him, a girl, with flames surrounding her eyes, and a red dress that lit up like flames. The girl in front of him put on a glove, and held her hand to Shulk's face. A small, tick-like monster appeared on the glove, and spat web-like substance on his face, blinding him._

The vision ended. "Oi, Shulk!" Reyn yelled from above. "You comin'? This was your idea, after all!"

"Yeah, yeah." Shulk said. "I'm coming." He pushed the vision to the back of his mind. Whoever those people were, he would worry about them then and there. Right now, his goal was to explore the world. And he was excited. Excited to spend it with his now expanded family, most of all, his new wife, Fiora.

 **A/N: Next chapter: XenoWorlds: Rubies and Junipers. Hope you're all as excited as me!**


	3. XenoWorlds: Rubies and Junipers Part 1

"Don't lose form, Shulk!" Tifa yelled. She threw a punch at his face, but he dodged, and, keeping stance, delivered a blow to her side. She retaliated, and even though Shulk could see the attack coming, he wasn't fast enough for the sheer speed of the punch. It hit him square in the face, and he fell to the ground.

Tifa laughed. "Good job." She said, helping him up from the ground. "I actually felt your punches this time."

"Thanks?" Shulk said, panting. "I really...appreciate you doing this...for me. Thank you."

"It's my pleasure. I'm always happy to pass the art my teacher, Zangan, taught me all those years ago. Though, I'm still wondering why you wanted my help."

"Well, you never know what we'll face along the way, right?"

"We can't, but I'm pretty sure you can." She started walking off. "I'm heading to the women's locker room. See ya!"

As she left, Robin came walking in, carrying a water bottle and a towel for Shulk. "Got your ass handed to you again?" Robin asked.

"What do you think?" Shulk said, grabbing the water bottle and taking a huge swig.

"She told me you did better than usual. You're definitely improving." Robin sat down. "But, why?"

"Oh, come on." Shulk said, grabbing the towel and drying himself up. "Why does everyone need to ask that?"

"Because I know you." Robin got a serious look in his eyes. "A vision is causing you to act this way. Something bad will happen, so you're preparing."

Shulk sighed. "You got me."

"So, what is it?"

"I'm...not sure. It starts with me engaged in combat with a young man with guns on his boots. I yell to a girl to run away from the fight. Then it shifts, and I'm on the ground. This different girl in front of me bends down, and puts on a white glove. From that glove emerges a monstrous tick. It sprays black webbing of some kind in my face, then it ends." Shulk laid down. "All this will happen, and it will happen soon. That's why I'm practicing martial arts. If I'm without my weapon, I'll still be able to defend myself."

Robin looked down. "Hmm. Well, if you think I can help, just let me know."

"Thank you, Robin."

"Crew of the Skywind!" Cid called through the intercom. "Please make your way to the cockpit of the ship! We have spotted land!"

"Yes!" Riki's voice blared now. "Riki think it big! Riki think he see buildings!"

"Yes, yes..." Cid said, taking back control. "Anyway, just get yourselves up here, double time!"

"Come on." Robin said, extending his hand out to Shulk. "Let's get going." He pulled Shulk up, and they walked out of the training portion of the Skywind.

"Hey, there you two are!" Fiora called out, grabbing Shulk's hand, wearing her brand new ring. "You're just in time!"

"Yes." Lucina said, walking over to Robin. "Been out looking for two weeks, and have finally found something!"

"Hopefully it's inhabited." Reflet said.

"It is." Vincent said. "You can see the ships from here."

Shulk looked out to the city ahead. It looked to be surrounded by a large wall to fortify it. Mountains and valleys also surrounded the city. In the centre of the city, a large tower stood, with what seemed to be a radio head on top of it. To the north of that tower laid a large campus, fitting of a school.

But the strangest thing was that high above in the sky, a floating coliseum. Ships were coming in from all directions, landing in the city, or on the school grounds.

"Wow." Reyn said. "They got quite the set up here!"

"It looks like there's some sort of festivity happening..." Cloud said. "All these ships might be coming from neighboring cities."

"Makes sense." Dunban said. "Even considering the size of the city, it looks overcrowded at the moment."

Suddenly, a large spotlight shined directly into the cockpit. "What the hell?!" Cid exclaimed. A light started flashing on the command board. "They're trying to make contact with us!"

"Wait!" Robin said. "Come on, Lucina." They both walked over and answered the transmission.

"Unauthorized ship," A male voice said. "You are currently flying over Vale airspace. You are not registered on the flight plan. As important as a time as the Vytal Festival, we ask that you state your name, and what purpose you have for not registering your arrival in the Remnant flight schedule."

"Greetings." Lucina said. "We apologize if we interrupted any of your people's traditions, but we ask that we speak with your leader."

"And for what reason?"

"I suppose we should introduce ourselves." Robin said. "My name is Robin. Who you were just talking to was my wife, Lucina. We are part of a crew of twenty aboard this ship, the Skywind. We have traveled here from a land called Gaea, and from there, another land named Mira."

"Gaea? Mira? Those are not kingdoms of Remnant!"

"That is why we must speak with someone who has a high ranking among these people."

"I...suppose..." The voice stopped for a bit. "Oh! Professor Ozpin! Just in time! ...Yes, they request to speak with you... All right..." The man returned his attention to Robin and Lucina. "Professor Ozpin of Beacon Academy would like to speak with you. Here he is now."

"Hello, Robin, Lucina." A new voice, Professor Ozpin, said. "So, you say you come from places past the continents of Remnant, correct?"

"Yes." Lucina said. "I know it must sound crazy to you, and our story is too long to tell here. But, it you are willing to hear us out, we will explain to you our past and our current goal."

Ozpin seemed to think through this a bit. "Very well." Ozpin said. "I am a busy man right now, because of the Vytal Festival, but I am intrigued on what you have to say. The ship currently watching you will lead you to Beacon Academy. After that, I will great you and lead you to my office. I have no doubt by now that word of your arrival is being spread throughout the kingdom, so you'll probably have to deal with a few crowds along the way. My apologies."

"None needed." Robin said. "Thank you for being open to what we have to say."

"Not at all. I look forward to meeting you in person." The transmission was cut off. The spotlight on them turned off as well, and the ship headed to the north side of the kingdom. Cid steered the Skywind to follow, and they landed on the docking bay of Beacon Academy.

* * *

"Come on, Weiss!" Ruby yelled. "Don't you want to see them?!"

"See what?" Weiss asked. "The 'aliens'?! Come on! I'm pretty sure they're just humans, like us!"

"Never know unless we go out." Blake said.

"Come on!" Yang said. "Even if they are humans, they say they aren't from any of the kingdoms, or Remnant for that matter. Besides, we've been practicing for the tournament for a long while now. We deserve a break."

"Team JNPR is already at the landing site!" Ruby said. "They're gonna land right here at Beacon, and you don't want to go?! Come on!" With that, Ruby ran off, followed by Blake and Yang. Weiss huffed, and followed them.

"Hey! You guys made it!" Jaune said to Ruby.

"Yeah they would!" Nora yelled. "They're team freaking RWBY! Of course they wouldn't miss this!"

"I wonder what they're like." Pyrrha said, looking up at the sky.

"Well, the news sure is gonna get as much as they can." Ren said.

"Wow, the news!" Sun said, walking in next to Blake. "Word sure travels fast."

"Yeah." Neptune said. "This is gonna be good!"

"Hmm..." Cinder said, watching from a distance the commotion around the docking bays. "This will be interesting."

"Sure will." Mercury said. "Think they'll get in the way?"

"Doubt it." Emeral said. "Not unless one of them can see the future or something."

"And who says they can't?" Cinder said. "Watch what you say. We don't know anything about these newcomers. They may be an added bonus to the plan, they may be a hindrance, or they may be a little of both. We just have to wait."

"It's landing! It's landing!" Nora yelled, jumping up and down.

As the Skywind landed, Ozpin was standing at the base of the ship, and Glynda and Ironwood were on either side of him.

The ship finally landed, and the hatch on the bottom opened up. The entire crowd was as silent as a still breeze. From the hatch came two figures. "Hello." The man with pure white hair said. "My name is Robin."

"And I'm Lucina." The girl with blue hair said.

"There you are." Ozpin said from the ground, walking up to greet the two of them.

"See?" Weiss said. "I told you. They're humans, like us."

"Aww..." Ruby said. "Come on! Let's go up and talk to them!"

"Sure!" Yang said. The two sisters ran up. Weiss and Blake looked at each other, shrugged, and ran up with Ruby and Yang.

"I thought you said there were twenty of you." Ironwood said.

"Oh, there are." Lucina yelled. She turned around. "Come on out! Greet yourselves!"

With that, the rest of the crew came walking out, and the crowd below grew restless, murmuring among themselves and taking pictures of the full group.

"Well, you certainly have a...diverse cast." Glynda said.

"We made a few friends." Shulk said, walking up. "Though it may be argued, I'm currently the one in charge of this group. My name is Shulk."

"Greetings, Shulk." Ozpin said. "I believe we have much to talk about."

"Yes we do." Shulk said, smiling.

"Uh, hi!" Ruby said, walking up to the new group. "I guess I should say, welcome to Beacon!"

"Ruby!" Glynda scolded. "Please don't-"

"Oh, no, it's fine!" Morgan said. She walked up to Ruby. "So, you're name's Ruby?"

"Yep! Ruby Rose!"

"Well, my name's Morgan! Just Morgan, though. I don't have a last name... But, anyway! Care to show me around?"

"Uh, sure!"

Morgan turned to Robin. "Dad, can I go look around?"

"Dad?" Weiss exclaimed. "He can't possibly be your dad! He's too young!"

Robin smiled. "Sure thing, Morgan."

"I'd actually like to look around too." Tifa said. "If we aren't to busy."

"Sure!" Yang said. "I'd love to!"

"I think it's a great idea." Lucina said. "All of us getting to know this place. I mean, we're the strangers here."

"Good point." Shulk said. "All right then. Robin, Cloud and I will go with Ozpin and explain our situation. The rest of you, go out and explore."

"All right!" Ruby said. "Let's go!"

"Wait!" Shulk said, eyes widening. "That hood... What's your name?"

"Uh...Ruby Rose? This hood was a gift from my mother, before she..."

"Oh, I'm sorry..."

"No, it's fine..."

"Well, I suppose we should be going our ways." Ozpin said. "The three of you who are coming with us, follow me. The rest of you, I suggest finding a guide to show you around. It can be quite confusing around the kingdom."

"Riki will do so!" Riki yelled, walking right past Ruby and Weiss.

"Told you they had some aliens on board." Ruby whispered to Weiss. Weiss just didn't speak.

"All right!" Yang said. "All those who want to come with us, come on!" With that, Team RWBY left, with Morgan, Tifa, Reflet, and Fiora behind them. The rest of them dispersed to find other people to have as guides, and ultimately they went with team JNPR, SSSN, and CFVY.

"Well then." Ozpin said. "Cloud, Robin, and Shulk, was it? Follow me." Ozpin dispersed into the crowd, pushing through it, followed by Ironwood, Glynda, Robin, Cloud and Shulk.

"Pardon me." Shulk said, pushing past Cinder. As soon as he touched her, he screamed, falling to the ground, clutching his head.

"Shulk!" Robin yelled. Him and Cloud ran to Shulk's aid, helping him up.

"What's going on?!" Ironwood said.

"None of your business!" Cloud said.

"Come on, Shulk." Robin said. "Get it together."

Eventually, Shulk stopped. "I'm...fine..." Shulk said. "Just...got a huge headache."

"Would you care to explain what happened?" Ironwood asked.

"Well, you see..." Robin said. "Shulk-"

"I have had a strange past." Shulk interrupted. "I sometimes have violent outbursts because of brain damage in battle."

"That seems a strange thing to do because of brain damage." Glynda said.

"Yeah, well..." Cloud said. "It's not important right now. Right now we need to talk."

"Very well." Ozpin said. "Let us continue."

Shulk stood up, and stared Cinder in the eyes. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I just..."

"I understand." Cinder said, smiling nicely, catching a faint glow in Shulk's eyes. "I should be off." With that, Cinder turned around, to Mercury and Emerald.

"Come on, Shulk!" Robin said, calling for Shulk to catch up.

"Coming!" Shulk yelled, running to catch up to them.

"What was that about?" Mercury asked.

"It appears we have a new target." Cinder said. "Add the man named Shulk to the list."

"Why?" Emerald asked.

"Because I have found out what his power is." She smiled coldly. "I never thought I would meet a seer in my life. Now, it seems fate has delivered one right into my hands, for me to take his power as my own."

* * *

"I thought we'd never lose those news reporters..." Reyn said. "They just wouldn't give up!"

"And last, we have the Cross-Continental Transmit System Tower, otherwise known as the CCTS Tower." Ruby said, continuing with the tour..

"It's where we can communicate with all other kingdoms." Weiss explained. "That way we can talk with distant families, send out S.O.S messages, you name it."

"Hey, this was your last stop as well?" Velvet said, walking over to team RWBY.

"Velvet!" Ruby said.

"Seems we all had the same idea." Jaune said. "All of us are here. Team SSSN, RWBY, JNPR, and CFVY."

"Looks like it." Dunban said. "Thank you for giving us a tour, Coco."

"Not at all." Coco replied. "It's nice to get out to the city every once in a while."

"So..." Fiora said. "I guess, since you're all here, we should probably explain why we're here."

"Yeah." Yang said. "I mean, Remnant sounds pretty boring considering what you've told us about places you've been."

"Oh, not at all." Melia said. "It's a lot more interesting than it looks."

"Anyway..." Tifa said. "Us twenty are on a journey to explore this new world that was created. We're going to go all the way north, south, east, west, you name it. But, along the way, we're going to get new recruits."

"Essentially," Barret said. "Ambassadors to represent their land."

"Oh!" Ruby said. "That sounds so cool!"

"It does sound interesting." Ren said.

"It would be so cool to find new lands, new cultures..." Pyrrha said. "Don't you think, Jaune?"

"Huh?" Jaune said. "Oh, yeah! That would be cool!"

"Well, you're in luck." Blake said. "The Vytal Festival Tournament is just around the corner, giving you the perfect opportunity to evaluate all our skills."

"A tournament?" Tifa said. "That'd be fun..."

"Oh, you should totally join!" Nora said. "We'd fight! We'd watch! We'd fight! We'd eat! We'd-"

"Thank you, Nora." Ren said, cutting her off. "Thank you."

"Maybe we will." Lucina said. "It's really just all up to Shulk."

"Why is Shulk in charge?" Neptune said. "I mean, he doesn't look all that special. His fashion taste is... Bleh..."

"Shulk is more than meets the eye." Morgan said. "He never fails. And even when he does, it always somehow turns out for the better."

* * *

"This story is...hard to swallow." Ironwood said from Ozpin's office. "Fighting and killing a god? Making a new world? Just seems so far-fetched."

"I know it is an unbelievable story." Robin said. "But I promise it's all true."

"And you're here now because...?" Glynda asked.

"We just want to help you." Cloud said. "Our goal right now is to make a united world. Not one that will constantly fight each other."

"We just ask that you're willing to hear more." Shulk said. "If you are, we can have a representative from the Army of the Emblem come here and teach you about the rest of the world. At least, what we know now."

"Ozpin?" Ironwood said. "Your thoughts?"

Ozpin pondered all he has heard. "I would like to oblige. However, Remnant is constantly under attack by creatures of Grimm. We also have the White Fang to deal with, plus more problems."

"Summer. Fall. Winter. Spring." Shulk said.

"What?" Glynda said.

"You heard me. Summer is right here in Vale, currently oblivious of her strength. Winter is currently in Atlas. Spring is constantly on the move, not staying in one place. And Fall... Fall is right below our feet, kept in stasis, trying to be kept alive."

"How do you-" Ironwood said. "That is vital information!"

"The maidens of the seasons." Shulk finished. "All four. I know where they are."

"How do you know all of this?" Ozpin said, eyes widening.

"I am a seer." Shulk said. "I see the flow of time, everything that happens in this dimension. I know this is a huge issue to you three, Qrow, all others."

"Well, this sure changes things." Ozpin said.

"I don't mean this in a way to scare you." Shulk said. "I mean this as a sign of friendship. I will lend you my powers to help you with your biggest problems. Not all of them, but the ones that will have a huge impact on the world."

"If this is a sign of friendship, why would you hold back this information?" Glynda asked.

"Same reason you hold back the information on the maidens." Robin said. "If the entire world knew that Shulk was a seer, people would be clamoring to reach him, to know their future. Plus, people who have ill intent for the world would stop at nothing to get a hold of Shulk and use his powers to their advantage."

"So, that reaction back there..." Ironwood said.

"Still trying to sort that out." Shulk lied. "Nothing you should worry about."

"I see." Ozpin said. "I have made a decision. I believe all three of us in the room today can agree that we agree to your terms."

"Thank you." Cloud said.

"So when are you leaving?" Glynda asked.

"Actually..." Shulk said. "You have a tournament coming up, don't you?"

"Yes, actually." Ironwood said. "Two days from now, the first battle will commence."

"Would you allow five more teams to join?" Robin asked.

"Five?" Ozpin said.

"Another goal we have is to get informed on the culture of the many people we meet." Robin explained. "And, to also have some come with us to spread their culture around the world."

"So, you want to join our tournament to get yourselves informed on our lives and culture," Glynda said. "And you also want some of us to join you on your journey?"

"Sounds good to me." Ironwood said. "We'll get some Huntsmen and-"

"Actually..." Shulk said. "How would you feel about team RWBY and JNPR joining us?"

"Team RWBY and JNPR?!" Glynda exclaimed. "They're first years! With insufficient training!"

"I don't know." Shulk said. "But...if they come with us...I have a feeling that things will go better for the world than if some random Huntsman joins us."

"Shulk is a seer." Cloud said. "He's much wiser than all of us combined."

Ozpin pondered this. "Very well. I suggest talking with them first, perhaps after their first matches in the tournament. If they accept, you have my full permission to take them with you."

"Thank you." Shulk said. "We will try to figure out ways to still teach them, perhaps with cameras and classes through the CCTS."

"Accepted." Ozpin stood up. He looked outside. "It's almost dark. We have a few extra rooms at Beacon that you and your team can occupy while the tournament is happening. We will add five teams to the list of combatants. What will the team names be?"

"Well, RLMR, me, Lucina, Morgan, and Reflet." Robin said. "My family will all be one team."

"CTAB." Cloud said. "Me, Tifa, Aerith, and Barret. And we could also have VYNC, Vincent, Yuffie, Nanaki, and Cait Sith."

"And finally," Shulk said. "SFDM, me, Fiora, Dunban, and Melia. And last, RSRC, Reyn, Sharla, Riki and Cid."

Ozpin typed this all in. "Thank you. You have now been added. We also have five rooms for your teams in the same hall as teams RWBY and JNPR, so you can get acquainted with them."

"Thank you, Ozpin." Shulk said.

"No, thank you. I believe this is a large stride toward the path of infinite peace. I believe it is time for you to leave. After all, you should get your rest for the tournament, and inform your group about your decision."

"In that case, we'll leave you." Robin said. The three of them turned to the elevator and left, leaving Ozpin, Glynda, and Ironwood alone.

"This complicates things." Ironwood said.

"Indeed." Ozpin said. "If we know of the existence of a seer, I fear our enemies may soon find out. We must find them as soon as possible, before they do any major damage to Remnant, or the world."

* * *

"So we're in the tournament?!" Tifa exclaimed.

"Yep." Cloud said. "All twenty of us."

"That's awesome!" Reyn said. "I can't wait to bash some heads in! Legally this time!"

"Well, there weren't really 'laws' on Bionis..." Sharla said.

"Everyone agree with the teams?" Shulk asked.

"'Course!" Morgan said. "It's awesome to fight with my family!"

"You guys are in the tournament?!" Ruby said, overhearing from her room. "That's so cool! I hope you all do great!"

"Thanks Ruby!" Morgan said. "You too!"

"So, what's the rules?" Cid asked.

"We're split into teams of four." Robin explained. "If we win, we send two people from our team to fight in the next round. If we win that, then one person from those two will be sent forward to compete in the finals."

"Sounds interesting." Barret said. "I'm sure ready."

"It starts the day after tomorrow." Shulk said. "Let's all get rest. The rooms are split into our teams. Good night everyone."

"Good night!" Morgan said.

As everyone left the room, Shulk got into his bed, closing his eyes. Fiora pushed a bed next to his to make a double bed, and she wrapped her arms around him. "Good night, Shulk..." She said.

"Good night Fiora." Shulk said. She was soon asleep in his arms. Shulk finally closed his eyes. As soon as he did, Cinder Fall appeared in his dream.

"There's nothing you can do." She said to him. "We know. We know who you are. Soon, I will take your power, and kill all you love. You know this, don't you?"

She disappeared, laughing, and two glowing eyes appeared in front of his face, and screeched a cry he thought he would never hear again in his life.

* * *

"Ah hah!" Peter Port said from within the Vytal Tournament Arena. "It seems our first match of the tournament is with one of our new visitors!"

"Yes!" Oobleck said next to him. "Our first match will be Team SFDM of Mira, versus team NMES of Shade!"

"Pfft." Nathan, the leader of NMES, said. "This'll be easy. We got a faunus who only has wings on her head, an old man with a bad arm, a girl wearing nothing protective, and a scrawny 20 year old!"

"Careful what you say." Dunban said. "Looks aren't everything."

The arena changed around them, making to landspaces: Floating islands, and machine. "Fighters in position!" Oobleck's voice blared. Shulk crossed his legs and sat down, closing his eyes.

"...What?" Eve said, pulling out a whip. "You aren't gonna fight? Why are you sitting down?"

"3... 2... 1..."

"Come on guys!" Morgan's voice yelled over the crowd. "Kick their butts!"

"Yeah!" Ruby yelled from next to her.

"Begin!"

Mist ran forward with a spear in hand, aiming for Fiora. Fiora jumped into the air, and pressed her necklace. The Mechon suit transformed around her body, and she came crashing down, with Sword Drones equipped.

"Incredible!" Port said. "It seems we figured out Fiora's Semblence!"

"Yes, Peter." Oobleck said. "Those drones respond to her mind, and change their specialty depending on what she wants! Currently, she needs melee attacks, so she has them set to boost her melee attacks!"

Dunban and Melia retreated to their area, the floating islands. The islands moved up and down, and Dunban helped Melia up to one of the moving islands. She started surrounding herself with summoned elements, and started firing them down on their opponents. Dunban jumped down, and started dueling with Eve and her double bladed sword.

Nathan came charging at the sitting Shulk, a large club in his two hands. Shulk still didn't move. Nathan smiled. He slid forward, and swung the club down on top of Shulk.

Right before the club came down on Shulk, his eyes darted open, glowing blue. Time slowed down, and Shulk put the Monado in his hands, and rolled out of the way, and quickly gave a devastating counter attack.

"Woah!" Yang said. "That weapon..."

"That's...AWESOME!" Nora yelled. "That laser sword kicks butt!"

"Incredible!" Port said. "It seems Nathan's aura is completely gone! Nathan is out by aura depletion!"

"Nathan!" Sariah yelled.

"No..." Nathan said eyes wide. Then he fell, unconscious.

Shulk didn't waste any time. "Melia!" He yelled up. Melia nodded.

"Summon Bolt!" Melia screamed, thrusting her staff into the air. A large bolt of lightning came down on top of Sariah, stunning her and quickly depleting her aura. Shulk activated his Smash aura, and kicked her into Mist and Eve.

"Dunban!" Fiora yelled. Her chest piece started to glow, and she floated into the air.

Dunban lifted up his sword, and brought it down on the three of them. "Born in a world of strife! Against the odds! We choose to fight! Blossom Dance!"

"Final...CROOOOOSS!" Fiora yelled, and a bunch of lasers came out of her chest, attacking all three of them.

The buzzer ringed. "Incredible!" Port said. "A triple KO! And none of team SFDM even got scathed! Team SFDM wins the first match by total ahnnilation!"

"We did it!" Fiora said. "Yes!"

"Yeah!" They heard Morgan yelled.

"We will have a short break, and afterwards, the second match of the day will be Team RWBY of Beacon and team ABRN of Haven." Oobleck said. "Please feel free to go to the fairgrounds as a resting place for your next battle."

"Quite the match, wasn't it?" Mercury said from across the stadium.

"Indeed." Cinder said. "We now know just how strong the power of foresight is. It is certainly desirable. We're making one large adjustment to the plan, but it will be worth it. Emerald, contact Adam. Tell him the new plan."

"Will do." Emerald said.

* * *

"That was awesome guys!" Yang said on the fairgrounds. Team RWBY, JNPR, and the crew of the Skywind were getting a victory snack for JNPR's recent victory.

"You eight weren't too bad yourselves." Shulk said. "Hey, listen... Have you ever wanted to explore the world?"

"Of course!" Pyrrha said. "It'd be so cool to see everything, even more so now that there's more than just the continents of Remnant."

"Well, we explained that we are looking for ambassadors to represent Remnant across the world." Robin said. "We believe that the eight we want are sitting at the table with us now."

"...What?!" Weiss said. "Us?! You want us to travel with you?!"

"But we're first years!" Blake argued. "We still need to learn! And besides, the tournament's going on right now. After tomorrow, the doubles section will start..."

"We've already talked with Ozpin about this." Cloud said. "We have figured out ways for you to still have classes on the go. We'll even teach you about our culture and weapons. And we'd also leave after the tournament, so there's no worry there."

"I think it sounds fun!" Yang said. "Ruby?"

"Uh..." Ruby said. "I... Uh... Why us?"

Shulk looked around to make sure nobody was listening. "You cannot say anything about what I'm about to tell you to anyone else, understood?" They all nodded. "All right. Would you believe me if I said I was a seer?"

"A seer?" Jaune said.

"Yes." Shulk said. "Someone who has full knowledge of the future."

"Is that how you reacted so quickly to Nathan's attack?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes." Shulk said. "But that's besides the point. I have seen your futures. I won't say much, but you will prosper the most if you come with us."

"And besides," Morgan said. "It'd be so cool! So much fun stuff will happen, meeting new people, new friends..."

"All right." Jaune said. "Team JNPR's in! Ruby?"

"I..." Ruby said. She looked at her team. They all nodded they want to go. "All right. I guess we're in."

"Great!" Fiora said. "Don't worry, we'll move all your stuff to the Skywind. You'll sleep in your rooms tonight, but tomorrow, everything will be in the Skywind."

"All right!" Nora said. "This is gonna be so cool, Ren!"

"Uh, yeah..." Ren said. "Thank you for this opportunity."

"It's our pleasure." Lucina said. "You will enjoy it, I guarantee it."

"Attention!" Port's voice blared. "The battle of Team SSSN of Haven and Team NDGO of Shade will soon start! If you wish to watch, please make your way to a transport ship to the arena."

"That's Sun's team!" Blake said. "Come on!" Everyone got up and walked towards a transport.

"Uh, Shulk?" Ruby asked Shulk.

Shulk stopped and turned to Ruby. "Yes?"

"If you see everything..." Ruby said. "Does that mean you see our death? Or the past deaths of loved ones?"

Shulk smiled. "I know you miss your mother, Ruby. But, I know for a fact that she misses you as well. She would give anything to be with you again. Ruby, you are going to grow strong. You're more powerful than you realize. By coming with us, I will help you release that power, and become a better person. Your friends, team JNPR, are going to go far, yes. But you, Weiss, Blake, Yang... You three are going to become some of the most powerful figures of all time, as long as you take the right steps."

"And have we taken the right step? In trusting you?"

"Do you trust me?"

"I don't know... Tell me something only I know of. Something only I have seen. Then I know I can trust you!"

Shulk closed his eyes. "A few years ago, you got in a fight with your dad. You and Yang skipped school to go see a show about the war between the kingdoms. Your father was very upset, and yelled at you and Yang. You lost your temper. You yelled back. Many insulting things. The most insulting was about your mother, Summer Rose."

Ruby's eyes widened. Shulk continued. "Your father got so angry, and couldn't control himself. He hit you across the face, much to both you and Yang's surprise. Yang got mad at that point, and fought with your father. You ran out, crying. It was snowing, but you just wanted to go see your mother. Nothing would stop you.

"When you reached her grave, you fell to your knees, crying. You talked to her about all your pains, your sorrows, wishes, everything. You poured your entire heart to her dead body. It was night by the time you were done.

"Night is when Grimm flourish. You were jumped by a large pack of Beowolves, and you had no choice but to fight. You let out all your anger you couldn't by talking on the Beowolves, and killed every single one without a scratch laid on you. Finally, you got home. Both your father and Yang calmed down, but you weren't in the mood to talk. You went upstairs, and laid down in your bed, your tears coming back. Yang came upstairs a few minutes later, and laid in bed next to you. She wrapped her arms around you, and you cried yourself dry until you fell asleep."

Shulk opened his eyes. Tears were now streaming down Ruby's cheeks. "That's... That's right." Ruby said. "You got every detail down. Nobody knows about that night. Not even Yang."

"I didn't mean to make you cry." Shulk said. "I told you that to gain your trust. And I tell you now. You have nothing to fear about joining us. It is the right step to prosperity for you, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, all of you. Now, come on. We need to go if we want to catch that battle."

"OK." Ruby said, starting to walk. They were on the last ship to the arena. They were the only ones in it, aside from the pilot in the next room.

Ruby finally calmed down, and was soon breathing normal. That was when Shulk noticed her silver eyes. Just like her mother. The Summer Maiden.

* * *

"Welcome to Day 2 of the Vytal Festival Tournament!" Port said from the speaker. "The first match of the day is featuring yet another one of our visitors from afar!"

"Team CTAB of Gaea will be facing team FNAL of Atlas!" Oobleck said. "This will certainly be a match!"

"Hey," Tifa said. "This'll be fun. No hard feelings?"

"Yeah." Amanda said. "We won't break you too hard."

"You want to talk trash?!" Barret exclaimed. "Then let's talk damn trash!"

"Easy, Barret." Cloud said. "People who talk big are just even more embarrassed when they lose."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Flora said.

"You'll see." Aerith said.

"Come on, Uncle Qrow!" Ruby yelled to Qrow from above. "We're gonna miss it!"

"I'm comin', kid. Jeez..." Ruby sat down with the rest of the crew of the Skywind.

"Hey, Shulk, is it?" Qrow said. Shulk turned in his seat to face him. "I heard you're takin' my kids around the world."

"Are you their father?" Shulk asked.

"Uncle. But, I believe you'll take good care of them. Won't you?"

"Definitely better than you could." Winter said, sitting as far away from Qrow as she could.

"Hey." Qrow said. "I do my best, Ice Queen."

"Oh, come on!" Yang said. "You've only been here a night, and already you're arguing among yourselves!"

"Hard to give up old rivalries, isn't it?" Robin whispered to Lucina.

Lucina merely smiled. "Sure is. To think I tried to kill you, before we were married."

"What?" Blake asked.

"Nothing!" Lucina quickly said.

The terrain changed on the battle field. It was urban and grassland. "Seems like familiar land." Cloud said. "Perfect."

"3..." Tifa tightened her gloves. Barret transformed his arm into a gun. Aerith readied her staff, and Cloud pulled out his completed sword.

"2... 1... Begin!"

Aerith ran back into the forest, ready to assist from afar. Cloud and Tifa ran straight ahead, ready to fight, while Barret circled around, firing bullets.

Cloud ran in, swinging at Flora, but his weapon was knocked out of his hand. He ran towards it, put it on his back, and unhooked the two smallest blades, dueling with two blades instead of one. Flora and Amanda, both wielding a small khopesh.

Tifa rushed to the back, where someone was running to the urban area. She kicked him in the back, sending him into a wall. "Damn..." Luke said. He turned around, and pulled out a whip. He whipped her hand, and pulled her towards her, kicking her in the face. She fell backwards, and Luke transformed his whip into a blade. Tifa jumped up and blocked a swipe with her boots, and delivered a punch to his stomach.

Barret ran towards Niro, shooting a barrage of bullets his way. Niro was quick, and got up in Barret's face quickly, pulling out a shield. He pressed a button on the shield, and a laser beam encompassed the edge. He spun it around his back, pressuring Barret into the forest.

"Aerith!" Barret yelled.

"Got it!" Aerith yelled. She knelt down in the forest, in a praying position. The sky opened up, and four angels came down from above. They shined light down on Aerith, Barret, Tifa and Cloud, and they picked themselves up, their fatigue gone. The angels disappeared.

"Unbelievable!" Oobleck exclaimed. "Aerith just boosted up her team! Their auras are completely regenerated!"

"No!" Flora yelled.

"That did it!" Barret said. He pointed the gun at Niro, and yelled. A single giant beam was shot right into his face, and wiped out the entire forest. The buzzer sounded.

"Oh! It looks like Niro is out!" Port said.

Tifa skidded across the ground. "Grah!" She yelled, and stomped the ground. A slot machine appeared behind her, and she hit the jackpot on all 7 of the slots.

"Tifa Lockhart has activated her Semblance!" Oobleck said. "She summons a slot machine, and depending on what she gets, that's what her attacks will be!"

Tifa ran to Luke, and delivered a flurry of punches. She jumped on his chest and dealt a quick kick upward, then a kick at his feet, tripping him. She picked him up, and heaved him over her. A dolphin came up from behind and hit him into the air.

"A dolphin?!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Yep." Cid said. "Strange, huh?"

Tifa grabbed Luke out of midair and slammed him into the ground. "Final Heaven!" She yelled, and delivered a punch so powerful it wiped out the other half of the arena.

"Luke is out!" Port yelled.

"Omnislash!" Cloud yelled. He unhooked all the blades from each other, and they started to float around Flora and Amanda. He grabbed the blades one at a time, combining them together, delivering 15 swift slices to the two poor girls. Then he floated into the air, and, yelling, slammed down, an explosion depleting both of their auras.

"Team CTAB wins!" Oobleck said. "Yet another incredible display!"

"Indeed." Cinder said. "Yes indeed."

Emerald's phone rang. She answered it. She talked for a bit, then hung up. "It's Adam." She said. "He says he found something you might like."

"Hmm." Cinder said. "Very well. Let's go."

* * *

"What is it, Adam?" Cinder said, outside the gates of Vale.

"We have found something the foreigners you speak of might have accidentally brought along." Adam said. "They seem to feed on the Grimm. Wherever they go, these creatures will follow."

"Interesting." Cinder said. "Anything unique about it?"

"Yes. We tried to kill it, and..."

"And?" Mercury asked.

"It countered every one of our attacks, like it read our minds. It knew everything we were going to do. And, it's big. Very big."

"How big?" Emerald asked.

"Come here." Adam said. "We were barely able to contain it, but we trapped it in a pit."

Cinder looked down, and heard a large, piercing shriek. The creature was bird-like, with glowing yellow feathers on its wings. It had blue skin, and was big. Very big. "It looks to be twice the size of the arena above Vale!" Cinder exclaimed.

"Is that good?" Emerald asked.

"Oh, so good." Cinder said. "Adam, continue to have the White Fang study this creature. If the Grimm won't make Vale collapse, this surely will."

"All right." Adam said.

"Now we just have to figure out how to get the seer's power." Cinder said.

"And how will we do that?" Mercury said.

"Stick to the plan for now." Cinder said. "But watch the seer's movements. He already knows what we are, and our motives. I have no doubt about it. He will eventually come after us. When he does, we need to attack him with all our might. Once any of you face him in battle, tell the rest of us immediately. As long as he's around, the plan won't work. But, it isn't entirely a bad thing. This seer will make our plan happen, as long as we play our cards right."

* * *

"And here we have the cockpit, where...well, it's where we command the ship!" Morgan said, giving team RWBY and JNPR a tour of the Skywind. "And that should be it! Cafeteria, Training Yard, Stables.. Yep! Your rooms should be down that hall to the left!"

"Thank you, Morgan!" Ruby said. She ran to the hall, into her room. "Hey! All our stuff's here!" Ruby exclaimed.

"How'd you do it so quickly?" Weiss asked Robin, who was walking down the hall at the time.

"We have our ways." Robin said, smiling. "But anyway, I'm glad you decided to join us."

"I am too!" Yang said. "This is gonna be so fun!"

Shulk stood outside, laying on the deck of the Skywind. He was seeing things that scared him. Yang framed for doing a crime, him still losing his powers... But he couldn't focus on that. His main priority is protecting the Maidens. Summer, Winter, Fall, Spring. And he knew that all four were on his ship right now, whether they had the powers, or not. Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladona, and Yang Xiao Long. Eventually, they all will be the Maidens. And he needed to prepare them. For the peace they were fighting for across the world would not last. Their enemies are gathering. They will strike. And they will strike hard.

 **A/N: Sorry this took so long! Life got super busy, and this kind of just pushed to the side. A guest asked me in a review how long these chapters will be, and I'm going to answer that. The thing is, I don't have a full, fleshed out story for every short story, like I did for Xenoblade Awakening. This story I do because it was something that was always on my mind these past few weeks, but other stories will take longer. I want them to be entertaining, so I spend more time on each chapter. Sometimes someone will request a series that I know nothing about, so I'll have to research it. But, to answer his/hers question, these chapters will take a long time most of the time. Expect one every 2 to 4 weeks. This story is split into two parts because I've thought about it for a while, and added so much to it, and I don't want a 20,000 word chapter. But, life for me is calming down, so part 2 of Rubies and Junipers will come out soon!**


	4. XenoWorlds: Rubies and Junipers Part 2

s"Welcome back to the doubles section of the Vytal Festival Tournament!" Port's voice blared. "We have had some incredible matches thus far, but this next match is going to be quite interesting! The last match of the doubles section will be Team RLMR of Ylisse, and Team EBLM of Haven!"

"Team RLMR certainly did quite well in the quad section of the tournament, and I expect nothing less here!" Oobleck said.

"Hey!" Ben said from across the stadium. "Let's have a good fight, all right?"

"We won't do anything bad." Lucina said. "But, we won't go easy on you either."

"Good." Emma said. "Because we aren't either."

"That's what I like to hear." Robin said, smiling.

The stadium rose up into four parts: Arches, Cave, Lightning Storm, and Tornado Alley.

"Hmm." Cinder said. "This'll be interesting."

Shulk was looking across at Cinder, Emerald and Mercury. Cloud leaned over. "What's wrong?"

"Those three over there." Shulk said. "They're the ones. The ones who are going to cause the most trouble in a few days. They're the enemies we're looking for."

"So what are we waiting for?" Cloud said. "As soon as we have the chance, we take them out, right?"

"No, we can't." Shulk said. "We can't just arrest them without a reason. They're smart. They have a plan. And besides, even if we do, and we actually arrest them, there will be so much negativity towards us. And negativity brings the beasts."

"Grimm."

"Precisely. We just need to wait this out."

"Why didn't you tell us before?"

"Why not? I know more than you. This was the time to tell you. Later, the rest of the crew."

Cloud sighed. "Sometimes, I really hate you." Shulk merely smiled.

"3... 2... 1... Begin!" Oobleck counted down.

Robin ran forward, and turned into a lightning bolt, warping behind Ben and swiping at his back. Ben brought the two blades attached to his elbows behind him and blocked the attack, and turned around with a counter. Robin brought up a sword in one hand, lightning in the other, and started to duel with Ben.

Emma ran forward towards Lucina, who waited. Right when Emma was about to attack with her stun stick, Lucina brought up a sword, and blocked it. She used wind magic to push Emma, and chased after her.

"Go Mom and Dad!" Morgan yelled.

"Come on!" Reflet yelled.

"So those are your parents?" Ruby asked. "They look...young."

"Well, they're...kind of my parents." Morgan said, thinking.

"Our genealogy is not easily explained." Reflet said. "Best to not say anything."

Emma kicked Lucina in the side, but she pushed herself up with wind magic, and pulled Emma towards her, slicing with her sword. Emma brought up her stick and blocked the swipe, and delivered a punch to Lucina's face. "Oh!" Port yelled. "That will leave a mark!"

Ben was spinning the blades on his arm, creating a shield that had little room to penetrate. He was pushing Robin back, away from Lucina. No matter how hard Robin tried, he couldn't break Ben's defense.

Robin was pushed into the lightning storm by Ben, and ran into the heart of the storm. Likewise, Lucina ran into the Tornado Alley.

"They've run into the two most dangerous areas in the arena!" Oobleck exclaimed. "What is their plan?"

"Come out!" Ben yelled.

The storms started to stir. Soon, they spread throughout the arena. Ben and Emma were trapped.

"What is this?!" Emma exclaimed.

A tornado picked up Ben and Emma, carrying them into the air. Lightning struck them as they were carried up, lowering their aura. Soon, they were up to Robin and Lucina. Using the wind, they hit the two with their weapons, one by one. Then, in the air, hit them straight down, destroying the storms.

"Unbelievable!" Port said. "What an incredible display of using the elements to your advantage!"

"Yes indeed!" Oobleck said. "Team EBLM is out! Team RLMR will advance!"

"Yeah!" Morgan yelled. "Let's go!"

Robin reached down and put his hand out to Ben, who took it. Robin pulled him up. "Good job." He said.

"Wow." Ben said. "Looks like we have much to learn."

"Well, we've been doing this for years." Robin said. "I led a whole army once. Against another army on the back of a dragon."

"When pigs fly!" Ben said.

"This concludes the doubles section of the tournament." Port said. "There will be a day of rest before the finals! All remaining combatants, prepare accordingly."

"The end is near." Shulk said. "We all need to plan accordingly."

* * *

"Why are you here?" Ozpin asked. "Everything is going well."

"No, everything is not going well." Shulk said. "Pyrrha can't handle this stress!"

"Why not?" Ironwood asked. "What makes her incapable of becoming the Fall Maiden?"

"Pyrrha Nikos is not the Fall Maiden." Shulk said. "If you put her in that abomination of a machine, she will die, along with the Fall Maiden, leaving no one to inherit her power."

"Well what do you propose we do?" Qrow said. "We don't have very many options. In fact," Qrow said, walking over to the lone Shulk. "I think you know who our enemies are."

"I can't deny that." Shulk said.

"So why aren't you telling us?!" Qrow yelled. "How do we know you're not one of them?!"

"Because if I were, I wouldn't be here having this conversation!" Shulk yelled back. "Pyrrha Nikos is a strong one. If I was with the enemy, I would take any chance to have her die. And I'm not telling you because if I tell you now, we will go down a path of darkness. I see the entire flow of time, but I try my best not to mess with it. As of now, we are going down a path that ensures eternal peace. However, it is the only path. I am doing my best to keep us on that path."

"You have a compelling argument." Ozpin said. "But, you still don't have a solution to our predicament."

"Soon, everything will go wrong." Shulk said. "When it does, all the maidens need to be here, in Vacuole. Many people will die, but sacrifice must be made to ensure peace. If blood must be spilled for the future of our children, then I will happily do so."

"So you want us to get Winter and Raven here in a few days?" Ironwood said. "That will not be easy. And we don't even know where the Summer Maiden is currently..."

"I do." Shulk said. "Just get Winter and Raven here. The rest will fall into place."

"And what happens when it doesn't?" Qrow asked.

"It will." Shulk said, huffing. "As long as I'm willing to make the sacrifice."

"Shulk, wai-" Ozpin said, but was cut off by the door closing shut behind Shulk. Ozpin sat down, and took a sip of his coffee. "James, call Winter." Ozpin said.

Ironwood pulled out his phone, and called Winter. He put it away. "She will arrive in a few days."

"Good. Qrow, I'm counting on you to get a hold of your sister."

"You're going to take his word?!" Qrow exclaimed. "What if he's lying?!"

"He hasn't been wrong before." Ozpin said. "I have full trust in him. We will just have to wait."

* * *

"Welcome to the 1 on 1 Finals!" Port's voice blared. "Why don't you explain the rules, Oobleck?"

"Hey." Mercury leaned over to Shulk on the stadium floor. "I mean, I see you're very powerful, but if we're matched up together, don't think I'm going to go easy on you."

"Wouldn't have it another way." Shulk said.

Mercury leaned over to Shulk's ear. "Better not use your seer powers against us, huh?" Mercury smirked. Shulk's expression didn't change.

"Yang Xiao Long and Mercury Black!" Port yelled. "All other combatants, please leave the stage."

Shulk left, with Cloud next to him. "He knows." Cloud whispered. "That Mercury kid knows. Why aren't you doing anything?!"

"The time's not right." Shulk said.

"Stop lying. If he knows, then the rest of them know. They will _kill_ you. Why aren't you reacting?"

Shulk didn't respond.

"What's going on?" Pyrrha asked.

"Nothing." Shulk lied. He leaned over to Pyrrha. "Whatever you do, don't take the burden you are given."

Pyrrha's eyes widened. "How-"

Shulk cut her off. "You are not to be Fall. If you do, you'll die. Now, let's enjoy the match."

Turns out, the match took a turn for the worse.

* * *

"But I didn't do it!" Yang yelled.

"I know you didn't." Shulk said. "But so many people believe you did. For now, you're stuck on the Skywind."

"But it isn't-"

"I know it isn't fair!" Shulk yelled. He took a deep breath, calming himself. "I know for a fact someone framed you! But there's nothing you can do about it now. Best to just wait."

"So why didn't you do anything about it?!" Yang yelled. Her eyes grew red. "You say you can see everything, but you did nothing?! Why?!"

"Because sometimes tragedy needs to strike in order for happiness."

Yang yelled in anger and, not thinking, swung a fist at Shulk. Shulk's hand went up quickly and caught her fist in his hand, much to her surprise. "Yang Xiao Long..." Shulk said. "The reason they played this illusion on you and not your sister, or anyone else was because you are hot headed. Even Weiss said this. You need to learn to control your anger."

"First Qrow and now you." Yang said, bringing her fist down. "You may be my captain now, but I'm sure not happy about this."

"I know you're not. None of us are. But trust me. You will get your chance to fight again. When you do, you'd best be ready to control yourself." With that, Shulk walked out of the room.

Yang crashed on the bed. Zwei barked and jumped on her lap. She started petting him absentmindedly.

Somebody knocked on the door. "Come in." Yang said. Tifa opened the door and walked in.

"Hey." Tifa said. "How are you?"

"Horrible." Yang said.

"Well, I made you a drink." Tifa said. "Tea, right?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Tifa poured the tea into a cup, and put some sugar in it. "It's hot. Figured you'd like it. Goes with your whole style."

Yang grabbed the cup and took a sip. "Everyone else has left for the next match, except me, Cid, and you." Tifa said. "Weiss, Blake, Melia and Reflet have gone to the city to get some food."

"Why did Cid stay?" Yang asked.

"Oh, he wanted to fix some things going on with the ship. 'I'm makin' adjustments that will make this thing unstoppable!' were his words."

"So why did you stay?" Yang asked.

"Because I wanted to." Tifa said. "I'm a few years older than you, yet you seem so much more stronger than I am. I'd like to fight you."

"Fight me?" Yang asked.

"Yes." Tifa said. "Think of it as a training exercise to get your head off of your mistake."

"Thank you." Yang said. "I needed to let off some steam."

"Even the hottest engines need to cool off." Tifa said, smiling.

Yang rolled her eyes. "Let's go."

"I've talked with Cid." Tifa said as they walked. "If you want, he can make the walls play feed of the battle going on. Would you like it?"

"I would love that, actually." Yang said.

"Great." Tifa said. "By the way, I'm glad you're joining us on our journey. It feels great to have someone who acts a lot like me."

"Well, I hope that we'll become greater friends in time."

"And I you."

* * *

"Where's Ruby?" Lucina asked Shulk. "I don't see her."

Everyone was off the stadium except for Pyrrha and Penny, the next two combatants. Shulk put a bag around his back, and started putting Materia into his arms, as many as he could. Shulk closed his eyes. "Lucina." Shulk said. "Look for Emerald in the crowd. Once you spot her, stop her at all costs."

"O...OK... Why?"

"Just trust me. Cloud, things will go wrong after this battle. I need you to be prepared."

"Shulk, what are you..." Cloud said.

"I need to do something on my own. Nobody follow me. And I mean that." Shulk finished putting Materia into his body.

"Shulk-" Lucina said, but he was gone, pulling out the Monado and running out with the Speed aura surrounding him.

* * *

"Showtime." Mercury said. Ruby, without her scythe, tried using her Semblance to get past Mercury to the battle, but Mercury was ready. He brought his foot up to Ruby, and caught her in midair, kicking her to the ground. Ruby pulled out her scroll, but Mercury fired a bullet from his boot, destroying it. "Let's just keep this between us 'friends'." Mercury said, smiling.

He dashed in, ready to bring his foot down on Ruby. Ruby shut her eyes tight, but the hit never came. She looked up, and saw Shulk grunting, holding up his Monado to Mercury's leg. "Run Ruby!" Shulk yelled. "Get as far away from here as you can!"

"But-" Ruby said.

"Just go!" Shulk yelled. He pushed Mercury to the side, and put the Buster aura around himself. Ruby regretfully turned and ran to the door.

Mercury smiled. "About time you showed up." He said. "Been wondering if you'd ever had the guts to fight me. I bet you knew my leg wasn't actually broken, huh?"

"I know a lot of things." Shulk said.

"So why didn't you stop it? All this pain, this suffering. You could've stopped it all! Now it's too late."

Shulk ran forward, and Mercury smirked. Mercury kicked up, but Shulk dodged, and blasted fire into Mercury's side. Mercury yelled in pain, and ran forward again. Shulk swung low, hitting his unguarded legs, tripping him, and grabbed his other leg on the way down, and threw him towards the wall.

Mercury grimaced. He tapped an earpiece he had on. "Emerald." Mercury said. "Whenever you're done, I could use some help. I'm fighting the seer. Get here as soon as possible!"

Shulk put on the Speed aura, and put away the Monado, running in, delivering a flurry of punches taught to him by Tifa. Mercury kept throwing out moves, but Shulk always saw them, dodging every time. Eventually, Mercury severely messed up, and Shulk put on the Smash aura, and hit Mercury through the floor, onto the docking bay. Apparently they were down there a while, because crowds were running to the evac ships.

Mercury sat up. "Emerald?" Mercury said. Emerald came out of the crowd, pulling out her dual guns. "Ready?"

Shulk got into position, pulling out the Monado again. Emerald and Mercury's backs were to the edge, where the city sat miles below. There were fires going off, and screams sounding all over the place.

"Two won't make a difference." Shulk said.

"We know." Emerald said. "That's why we brought back up." With that, Emerald and Mercury jumped off the edge. Shulk ran towards the edge, right when a giant ship came up, with Emerald and Mercury on top of it, joined by two more people.

"Greetings, Seer." The man with red hair and Grimm mask said. "I believe we haven't met..."

"Adam Taurus." Shulk said. "Neopolitan, Emerald Sustrai, and Mercury Black."

"That is correct." A new voice said, and Cinder Fall walked out from behind the four of them. "We've been studying you a lot, Seer. But, I believe we should get a bit...closer." Cinder's eyes glowed, and four patterns appeared underneath Shulk. Shulk quickly put on the Jump aura and jumped onto the ship as the symbols exploded where he was standing.

"Roman!" Adam said. The ship took off, not giving Shulk a chance to jump off. It flew away from the stadium.

"Shulk!" Shulk heard Fiora yell from the stadium. She had her armor on, and had a look of despair on her face.

"Aww..." A new voice said. A hatch behind Cinder and everyone opened up, and Roman Torchwick came crawling out. "Got a crush?"

"A wife." Shulk said. He pulled out the Monado. "And I am not going to let you take her from me!"

"We won't." Cinder said, smiling. A roar came crashing from outside the city. "But that will."

* * *

"Penny!" Ruby yelled, running to the tattered remains of her robot friend. Pyrrha sat there in shock. A Nevermore was on top of the shield, trying to break in. After the strange message from that voice, the Grimm started attacking full force.

"Barret!" Cloud yelled to Barret, who was jumping down onto the stadium. "Throw me!"

"Got it!" Barret yelled. He offered his hand, and boosted Cloud into the sky. Lucina jumped up, propelling herself with wind magic, and grabbed Cloud's free hand, throwing him up even further, and shooting a tornado to blow Cloud even faster up.

The Nevermore was flying straight down to the shield, and Cloud up. As soon as the Nevermore broke the shield, Cloud yelled, and sliced the ginormous bird in two. He came crashing down, with tons of lockers filled with the student's weapons crashing next to him.

"We don't have much time." Cloud said. "I've contacted Cid. He's bringing the Skywind around to pick us all up."

Roars came from above, and bird like creatures with legs sat on top of the stadium. "Griffons." Sun said. "We'd better hurry."

Everyone picked up their weapons, ready to fight the Grimm. Ruby called down her locker, with Crimson Rose sitting in it. As soon as Ruby ran to grab it, a Griffon landed on top of it.

"Ruby!" Sharla yelled. Right when the Griffon was about to attack Ruby, it was blasted by a giant fire ball.

"Students." Port said. "I think it best that you all go with these foreigners."

"But-" Ruby said.

"Ruby." Oobleck said. "This day will no doubt go down in history. I'd rather have my students live to tell my tale than myself."

"We don't have much time." Robin said. "We must hurry!"

"Right!" Fiora said. "Come on!" She ran out, wearing her armor.

"Ruby." Cloud said, catching her on the docks, leaving the room, where Oobleck and Port took their last stand. "I know you probably don't know this, but do you know where Shulk is?"

"No..." Ruby said, her tears starting up again. "I'm sorry, Cloud, but he made me leave!"

"Hey, it's all right." Cloud said. "Let's just get down to the city."

"All right."

Ironwood left on the ship, after giving a quick speech to the students of Remnant. "Shulk!" They heard Fiora cry. everyone turned to see the ship taken by Roman take off, with Shulk on top, fighting six people at once.

The Skywind landed at the docking bay, and Yang came running out, hugging Ruby. "You're OK!" Yang yelled, nearly suffocating Ruby.

"Oof! Yeah...I'm...OK..! Ow..." Yang let Ruby go. "We need to hurry." Yang said. "Weiss and Blake are in danger! They're down there alone!"

"OK!" Cid said. "Everyone o-" A giant roar cut off his sentence, and everyone stopped.

"What was that?" Aerith asked.

"No..." Dunban said. "Fiora!" He yelled. "We need to move! Now!"

"What the hell is it?!" Barret yelled.

* * *

Another roar sounded. The bars above the creature were failing under the creature's strength. Eventually, they broke, and the creature unfurled its wings, flying straight to the stadium. It smelled its target. It must complete the mission it was given by Zanza.

* * *

Everyone saw the creature as soon as it took flight. "No!" Melia said on the ground, helping Weiss and Blake fight the Grimm, and now, the Atlas robots designed to protect them.

"A Telethia?!" Reflet exclaimed. "They're still alive!"

"What's a Telethia?!" Blake asked.

"Something bad." Melia said. "And this one is ginormous!"

"It's heading straight for the stadium!" Blake said.

"That's where everyone is!" Weiss exclaimed. "Why is it heading there?!"

"Its mission, before its master died, was to kill all life from Bionis, and Ylisse." Reflet said. "And the stadium is where most of those lifeforms are."

* * *

"Dinobeast! Dinobeast!" Riki yelled. "Very, very big one coming here! Riki's friends need move!"

"Everyone on!" Cid yelled. "Double time!"

The Telethia's feet landed on the docking bay. It's head was bigger than the arena. It's wings completely encompassed the stadium. It started tearing it apart, piece by piece, looking for Homs.

Everyone got on the ships faster than before, and the evac ships took off fast. The Skywind was the last one to take off before the stadium exploded underneath the Telethia. The Telethia's armor was so thick, it absorbed the blast. It roared, and smelled the ether running through the crew of the Skywind. It turned, and took off towards the Skywind.

"Damn it!" Cid said. "That bird is following us!"

"Everyone!" Dunban yelled. "If you have any form of ranged attack, get on the deck and fire at that bird!"

"Did you see what it just did?!" Neptune exclaimed. "It took that explosion like it was nothing!"

"We need to slow it down, crybaby!" Coco yelled. "Or do you want to go down as our teachers did?!" She grabbed Neptune by the collar and brought him up to the deck.

Cloud looked to the debris of the stadium falling to the ground below. He brought his hand to his forehead in a salute. "You will be remembered, Peter Port and Bartholomew Oobleck. I swear it. Your death will not be in vain." He put some Materia into his arm and followed everyone up to the deck.

* * *

Shulk looked out in horror at the destruction caused by the Telethia. "You thought they were gone, didn't you?" Cinder asked, smiling. "Some of them survived after all."

"Enough of this." Adam said. He ran forward, firing his sword from his case at Shulk, trying to catch him off guard. Shulk grabbed the sword out of midair and swung at Adam, knocking him back. Shulk ran forward, Speed aura on, and threw Adam's sword at Neo, which she blocked, and swung the Monado at her. She jumped, but Shulk grabbed her leg and threw her. She landed on her feet, and Shulk punched her in the chest, catching her off guard.

Cinder jumped back, and pulled out her bow. She fired at Shulk, while Mercury and Torchwick ran in. Shulk grabbed the arrow fired at him out of midair and stabbed it into Mercury's robot leg, and brought up the Monado to Torchwick's cane, and deflected the strike. He summoned fire in his hand through a Materia and blasted Torchwick, causing him to bounce into the ship's cockpit.

"Emerald." Cinder said. "Time for your trick."

"OK..." Emerald said. She focused on Shulk, and caused him to see nothing. It was all black. Shulk looked around wildly, the illusion working. Adam and Neo wasted no time. They took this vulnerability and struck him on the back. Adam grabbed his sword and sliced Shulk across the back. Shulk yelled in pain, and swung where Adam was standing. Adam was gone, and Neo ran in, and delivered a kick to his side. She was about to do another, but then Shulk opened his eyes. When he did, they were glowing blue.

Shulk reached up and grabbed Neo's leg, and her eyes opened in surprise. He put on the Smash aura and threw Neo once more. Emerald kept trying, but couldn't get the illusion to work on Shulk again.

Mercury pulled out the arrow from his leg and fired a barrage of bullets into the air, surrounding Shulk. Cinder summoned fire and threw it at Shulk, who jumped up, and hit Emerald on the way down. Everyone quickly backed away from Shulk, and the bullets circling him came crashing down.

Mercury smiled. "Guess he lost the will." He said. His smile quickly faded as the smoke cleared. Shulk was standing there, with his hand up, and all the energy from the bullets was focused into one ball in his hand. Shulk yelled and pushed his hand outward, creating an explosion of light pushing everyone back. While they were down, he took the time to use magic to heal himself and his wounds.

Shulk was about to run in, when he heard an explosion. He turned to see the ship Ironwood take crash in flames on the ground. General James Ironwood was dead. "No!" Shulk yelled.

"Oh, yeah..." Torchwick said, coming back out of the ship. "I might have done that. Oh, and don't worry about your friends. They're next."

The ship turned around on its own, and aimed its guns at the Skywind, which was still being chased by the large Telethia. The ship started firing. Thankfully, Shulk and Robin designed it with very sturdy shields, but they wouldn't last.

"What are you gonna do now, Seer?" Torchwick teased.

Shulk looked around. He was on the edge of the deck. The engines were right below him. This ship currently had control of the skies, and somehow, Torchwick hacked the Atlas robots to fire on humans, killing Ironwood. Winter was almost here, and no doubt got word of what was happening. Raven was on the ground, helping Qrow fight the advancing Grimm. He needed to free up the skies.

Adam pulled out his shotgun and fired a barrel at Shulk. Shulk put up a barrier and froze the ground underneath his enemies feet. He put on the Buster aura, and, using as much energy as he could, he willed the Monado's blade to grow, and he swung down on the engines, destroying them.

"You fool!" Emerald yelled. "You'll kill all of us!"

"A noble sacrifice." Shulk said. The engines exploded behind him, and the ship tilted downward, causing all seven of them to slide into the cockpit of the ship.

* * *

"Starlight Kick!" Melia yelled, kicking a Grimm away from her. Reflet came down with a sword in hand, stabbing it through the chest. She turned around and blasted an advancing White Fang with dark magic, and pushed the soldier aside.

"Get down!" Blake yelled, pushing Weiss down to the ground as bullets fired past their heads. The Atlas robots turned against them, and were trying to kill them. They encircled the two girls, causing them to draw their weapons.

Melia and Reflet got as high as they could on Beacon campus, fighting off Grimm and White Fang along the way. They looked out at the ensuing carnage. "It's horrible..." Melia said.

"Yes it is." Reflet replied. "But we have to prioritize at the moment." She pulled out her scroll, which Ozpin was kind enough to give all the members of the Skywind. She dialed Robin's scroll and called him. "Robin! Are you all right?"

 _"I'm fine!"_ Robin replied. _"Right now, we're being chased by a giant bird we thought was extinct, but other than that, yeah! Totally fine!"_

"Who's all with you?" Melia asked.

 _"All of the students from the tournament, and all the members of the Skywind except for you two, Weiss, and Blake. Are they with you?"_

"Yes." Reflet said. "Any one else not on the ship?"

 _"Let's see, we have a count for everyone except for...Shulk_. _He's on that ship trying to keep us out of the skies."_

"Why did you let him there?! That's where are enemies are!"

 _"He didn't give us a choice. He made us stay at the stadium. Last I saw him, he was dueling with six other people. He'll be fine. I'm pretty sure, at least."_

"What about your current situation?" Melia asked.

 _"The Telethia? Oh, we...kind of have it under control. It has thicker armor than any we ever fought on Bionis. It must be an alpha or something like that. And it can also read minds, like all the rest. We have everyone that can up above firing bullets, magic, whatever they have at the Telethia, trying to take it down."_ There was an explosion that came from the phone. They could hear Cid say a choice four letter word. _"They're shooting at us?! I need to go. Stay safe you two, keep Weiss and Blake safe. If we can ground the Telethia, we can land and help you four out."_ Robin hung up.

Reflet and Melia jumped down to Weiss and Blake, and helped them finish off the Atlas robots. "Where were you two?!" Weiss exclaimed.

"We were making sure everyone's safe." Reflet said. "All of our friends are on the Skywind, plus some."

"That's good." Blake said.

"Well..." Melia said. "Shulk isn't on board. He is fighting what we believe are the generals of this scheme."

"Adam?!" Blake exclaimed. "You think he's fighting Adam?!"

"We don't...know who Adam is." Reflet said. "I guess if he leads the White Fang, it's likely."

"He's here..." Blake whispered to herself.

An explosion sounded from above, and they looked up to see the engines of the hijacked ship blow up, causing it to fall slowly down to the city. "What...?" Reflet exclaimed.

Weiss's scroll vibrated. She answered it. "Hello?"

 _"Weiss! You picked up! Thank goodness!"_ Winter's voice came out. " _I was so worried you had died!"_

"Winter!"

 _"Weiss, listen to me. I am coming to Vale. If you were somehow part of that plan to destroy that ship, I thank you. I have a small army here with me to help you out. Just sit tight, and we will be there in a few minutes."_ Winter hung up. As soon as she did, three cargo ships came flying from the north, past the mountains, firing at the large Telethia.

* * *

"Why aren't we hurting it?!" Yang yelled, frustrated, firing bullets from her Ember Celica.

"It has so much armor!" Pyrrha yelled. "Can we even dent it?"

"I don't know." Coco gritted her teeth. "Even my weapon can't hurt it."

"Does anyone have some sort of idea?" Lucina asked.

"Look out!" Vincent yelled. Him, Aerith, Yuffie, and Nanaki came up and put up a large barrier, just as the Telethia reeled back, and fired a large beam of ether. They gritted their teeth, trying their best to stop the beam from hitting them. The large barrier was destroyed, knocking the four of them back into the wall. The Telethia roared, starting to get annoyed by the constant onslaught of bullets and magic.

"We have to keep trying!" Morgan yelled. "Just...I don't know! Keep giving it your all! We got all the resources we need here. We just need to find its weakness."

"Sorry, lady, but we've been looking for a while now for one." Nadir from team ABRN said.

"I have a name! It's Morgan!" Morgan said, a bit stuck up.

An explosion sounded from below, and the ship shook. "What the hell was that?!" Barret exclaimed.

"Bad news!" Jaune said, looking out the side of the ship. "That big ship that was hijacked? It's guns are aimed at us!"

"We can't shoot at it." Fiora said.

"Why not?!" Nora exclaimed.

"Because Shulk is on there. If he falls, we may not win."

Then, an explosion came from that same ship. It's engines were on fire, and it tilted downwards, crashing towards the city. "No!" Lucina yelled. She turned to the stairs and ran down to the cockpit. "Did you do that?!" She yelled at Robin. "Shulk was on that ship!"

"I know he was!" Robin yelled back. "We didn't do that. No ship fired at it. It was either destroyed by Grimm, or Shulk destroyed it himself, trying to save us."

"Heads up!" Cid yelled. "That ship might be down, but we got two more ships just like it coming from the north!"

"Seems they're trying to make contact with us." Robin said. He answered. "This is the Skywind, please state your business."

"Is this...Robin? I believe we have met before. I am Weiss's sister, Winter Schnee of Atlas. We have brought reinforcements to help with the current Grimm problem."

"Oh, thank the gods!" Robin said. "We currently can't land and help out innocent people. We don't have powerful enough weapons to take down this large creature. It's called a Telethia."

"A Telethia? We'll see what we can do. I...shouldn't ask this, but is Weiss with you? On that ship?"

"No. But, I was just in contact with my clo...sister, and she said that Weiss is safe with her. They are currently at Beacon. Give her a call on her scroll."

"All right. Thank you. We will figure out a way to defeat this Telethia. I will talk to you later." Winter hung up.

"Robin." Lucina said. "I'm going back up."

"All right. Love you." Lucina walked back up to help the rest of them fight off the Telethia.

"Ruby!" Morgan yelled, continuing to blast fire at the Telethia while moving towards Ruby. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Why would I have any?!" Ruby yelled. "I don't know anything about this thing! I wasn't taught! We didn't even know this thing existed until now!"

"Well, whatever! Just-" The Telethia blasted the ship again. This time, the barriers put up by the crew of the Skywind wasn't enough. It hit Morgan square in the chest. She screamed, flying into the wall, just as Lucina walked up the stairs. She looked at her duaghter in horror.

"Morgan!" Lucina yelled, kneeling next to her body. "Sharla! Get over here!" Sharla ran over with Reyn, and Reyn carried Morgan down to the medical bay. Lucina followed the two of them.

"No!" Ruby yelled. She turned to the Telethia, her eyes glowing with a strange fire pattern.

"Ruby...?" Yang said, seeing the pattern. "What...?"

Ruby yelled, and started to float in the air. "You monster!" She yelled. "How could you do that to Morgan?!" The Telelthia roared again, and started charging up another ether blast. Even though it was the darkest night, made even darker with the Grimm, from the sky, a light as bright as the sun emerged, and growing brighter.

"Ruby-" Yang started, but Pyrrha grabbed her.

"No." Pyrrha said, her eyes widening. "Let it go on."

The light kept getting brighter and brighter, until eventually, it reached the first Grimm in the atmosphere. It burned straight through them, disintegrating them immediately. The Telethia turned to the light, and screamed at the light. It kept coming, and then a bright ball of fire as big as the Telethia hit it in the chest, and exploded in a flash of light. Everyone instinctively closed their eyes. When they opened them, the Telethia, smoking fell down into the ground, making a large crater in the city.

"It's armor is gone!" Velvet yelled. "It also looks like its wings were completely burned off!"

"Yay!" Riki yelled. "Dinobeast hurt! Friends fight! Friends fight on ground!"

Ruby landed on her feet, the glowing in her eyes gone. She looked down at the Telethia in shock. "Did...I do that?" Ruby said, looking at her hands. She was panting heavily.

"If you did, I..." Yang said, completely wordless. "I don't know who else it could've been."

"Ruby!" Ruby heard Morgan yelled. She came up, limping a bit, but otherwise OK.

"Morgan!" Ruby yelled, hugging her new friend. "Are you OK?"

"She'll be fine." Sharla said. "She just took a hit that knocked her unconscious for a bit. We were able to wake her up. She also broke her leg, but we were able to fix that with some Cure Materia."

"Thank you again, Sharla." Morgan said. "I don't know what we'd do without you."

Robin came upstairs as well. "I was just in contact with Winter." He explained. "Now that the Telethia is grounded, they can come freely and defeat as many aerial Grimm as they can. We are now free to land. We'll land in Beacon. From there, some of us will go and finish off that Telethia. The rest will go where they are needed, and help any survivors who can't fight for themselves. Understood?" A yes resonated on the deck.

Robin's scroll vibrated he answered it. "Hello?"

 _"Robin! Listen, we don't have much time. I need you and everyone on the Skywind to listen to me. I have Reflet, Melia, Weiss and Blake on this same line. I have a plan."_

"Shulk?!"

* * *

"You really are something special, aren't you?" Cinder said, smiling. The ship was flaming all around them. Shulk could feel the altitude dropping. He was breathing heavily with the oxygen being eaten up by the flames. He was standing on the windshield of the ship, holding up the Monado, ready for any move from his opponents above him, standing on other equipment, poles, whatever the could with the ship being perpendicular to how it should be.

Shulk looked down. They were still pretty high up from the ground. He bent his knees, and put on the Jump aura. He yelled, and jumped up to Cinder, who was the farthest from him. He turned in midair, and with precise movements with his hands, guided the bullet fired by Torchwick back to him, causing him to jump to where Neo was standing.

Shulk swung the Monado down on Cinder, who brought up her swords and caught the Monado in between them. Shulk used that to his advantage, and used his momentum to swing himself up above Cinder, and swung straight down. Cinder jumped out of the way, causing Shulk to miss. He destroyed the control panel, leaving no one to control the direction of the ship.

Neo activated the blade on her umbrella, and jumped up towards Shulk, poking at his chest. Shulk blocked each blow as they came. Mercury jumped up behind him, and kicked at his back. Shulk jumped up, and Mercury instead hit Neo, who quickly pulled up her umbrella, blocking the attack. Emerald was above Shulk, and she spun, her blades in her hands. Shulk brought up the Monado again and blocked the attacks. When Emerald was done, Adam jumped off the wall and slammed Shulk down into the window, causing him to break it. Shulk was just barely able to grab the ledge of the broken window, and hung there.

Torchwick lifted up his cane, but Cinder stopped him. "What?" Torchwick complained. "Why?! He's finally vulnerable!"

"We need to go." Cinder said. Shulk looked down. They had almost reached the ground. Cinder put her foot down on Shulk's fingers, and he screamed in pain. "This is too bad. I so hoped you would live. Well, fate can _never_ be changed, can it?" Cinder looked into Shulk's eyes once more, and stomped her foot hard on his hand, causing him to let go, falling to his death.

Shulk flailed in midair, falling. Cinder broke his fingers on his left hand. He looked up, and saw the cockpit of the ship explode. It was coming fast towards him. He leaned his body to move away from the ship, which barreled past him. He barely put on the Shield aura before he hit the ground.

He slowly got up, his body aching. He quickly used some cure magic to fix himself up, and pulled out an elixir from his bag he brought with him, bringing him back to full strength. He looked around, seeing the wreckage of the ship all around him. Flames were everywhere. A few buildings were destroyed, and Grimm were running rampant, though staying far from the wreckage Shulk currently found himself in.

A huge light came from above. Shulk looked up, and saw a huge ball of light as bright as the sun hit the large Telethia, and, smoking, it twirled down to the ground, on the other side of the city from him.

Shulk pulled out his scroll, and linked it to Reflet's and Robin's scrolls. "Robin! Listen, we don't have much time. I need you and everyone on the Skywind to listen to me. I have Reflet, Melia, Weiss and Blake on this same line. I have a plan."

 _"Shulk?!"_ Robin's voice came first. _"Thank the gods you're all right!"_

 _"Shulk, you idiot!"_ Fiora's voice blared, causing Shulk to flinch. _"Why didn't you let us come with you?! You could have died!"_

"I'm here now, aren't I? And I'm fine. Now, all of you, listen. We are in over are heads right now. I have a plan. Cid will land the Skywind at Beacon to reunite with Reflet, Melia, Weiss and Blake. From there, Blake and Lucina will enter the CCTS Tower. They will head into the basement. There is something there needed for Blake."

 _"Shulk, why...?"_ Blake started.

"Just do as I say!" Shulk said. "We don't have a lot of time left to us. If you do that, we are one step closer to winning. The students on the Skywind will go about the city, helping innocent people and defeating Grimm and White Fang. Now, aside from Lucina and Blake, the rest of you will head to the spot where the Telethia landed. It's grounded, but not dead. You will work on killing it. Understood?"

 _Shulk, I-"_ Fiora was cut off, as an arrow came flying into Shulk's scroll, and destroyed it.

"Oh, how sad." Cinder said from above, a transport ship with her, Emerald, Mercury, Neo, Torchwick, and Adam on board. "All cut off from help, aren't you?"

"I don't care." Shulk said. He pulled out the Monado once more. "They aren't coming, anyway. It will just be us."

"Oh, that's too bad." Torchwick said. "I was really hoping to lay a number on that girl of yours."

"Shut up." Shulk said. Neo landed the ship, and they all got out. They didn't advance, however.

"What are you accomplishing?" Emerald asked. "By fighting us? You're fighting a battle you know you won't win."

"Perhaps." Shulk said. "But, you can't see past the now. I can. Even if I fall, I can fall, knowing that you won't win."

"On our own, perhaps." Cinder said. The ground shook once more. "But, we have yet one more trick up our sleeve."

* * *

"Shulk, I..." Fiora quieted down, and as she did, Shulk's connection was interrupted. "Shulk? Shulk!"

 _"...What now?"_ Melia asked from the end of the line.

"We won't listen to Shulk." Robin said.

"What?" Ruby exclaimed. "Why not?"

"No, we'll do his plan. But I'll make a slight alteration. A tactician must change the plan as it is completed, and that's what I'm doing. When we land, Blake and Lucina will head inside the tower, and head downstairs. The students will go where they will, doing whatever they want. Meanwhile, us, the crew of the Skywind, will go and fight the Telethia, hopefully killing it. But, me, Yang, Ruby, Weiss, Morgan, Reflet, Fiora and Cloud will all go and help Shulk. We don't leave anyone behind. Is that understood? Reflet, we'll land soon. Then, we'll go. Understood?"

 _"Yes."_ Reflet said. _"We will see you soon."_ She hung up.

When the Skywind landed, they let all the students go, who quickly got to combat with Grimm. The rest of the crew ran out and quickly reunited with Reflet, Melia, Weiss and Blake.

"I'm so glad you guys are OK!" Blake said, hugging Yang and Ruby.

"We need to hurry." Robin said. "Cid. You take everyone that's going on the Skywind to where the Telethia crashed. I'll lead the group we're taking to go and save Shulk. Let's go!"

Blake and Lucina ran to the tower, Robin's group ran out to where the ship crashed.

"Shulk, just hang on..." Ruby muttered. The ground shook. They all stopped.

"What was that?" Yang asked.

* * *

Qrow sliced through a Beowolf behind Glynda, and quickly ran up to Glynda. "Things are lookin' bad." Qrow said.

"Why must you be negative now?" Glynda asked. Grimm surrounded them on all sides. They brought up their weapons, ready to defend themselves.

Some Grimm were flying up in the air in the back from both sides. "...What?" Qrow exclaimed.

From the right, A gun sounded. Ironwood came through the crowd of Grimm, blasting them as he walked, his robot half exposed from his clothing.

From the other side, the sound of metal slicing through Grimm. A girl in a red cloak and a mask with a large sword sliced through Grimm left and right.

Eventually, all of them surrounding Qrow and Glynda were dead. "This area is secure!" Ironwood yelled.

"Glad to see you, Raven." Qrow said, patting his sister on the back. Raven took off her mask, revealing her black and white hair and red eyes.

"It's been a while, Qrow." Raven said. "I see everything isn't going well?"

"What do you think?" Glynda said. "We need all the help we can get. And James!" Glynda walked over and slapped Ironwood's face. "Don't ever scare me like that again!"

"What were you expecting?!" Ironwood yelled. "My troops turned on me suddenly and fired. It was a miracle that I survived."

"Where's Yang?" Raven asked.

"She's safe." Qrow said. "I should tell you, she and Ruby joined this team of foreigners on a trip across the world."

"Who are all very nice people, and have promised that they will take care of the students." Glynda promised.

"That's good."

"Winter has the skies taken care of." Ironwood said. "Us four will need to focus on the ground. You saw that giant bird? The foreigners will take care of that. Right now, we need to help any civilians in danger, and kill all the Grimm still in the city. Is that clear?"

"Whatever, general." Qrow said. "Raven and I will take care of that last part. You and Glynda figure out the civilian problem."

The ground shook. "No..." Glynda said. "It's waking up."

* * *

In the mountain, cracks started appearing. The ground shook again, and even more cracks. A claw emerged from the mountain, and the mountain exploded. From it, a dragon Grimm took flight, flying towards Vale. Ooze dripped from its body. From the ooze, Grimm emerged, and continued the assault on Vale.

* * *

"That's not good!" Cid yelled, trying to steer clear of the new Grimm in the air. "We need to land quick!"

A call was sent to the Skywind. Cid picked up. "Winter, you better take care of this dragon thing!"

"Don't worry, we will." Winter said. "You know more about the Telethia than we do. That is your priority. We will take care of this ancient Grimm. Worry not." Winter hung up.

"All right, here's the plan." Tifa said. "When we land, that thing will no doubt be ready to attack. It's big, so it has a large range. However, it isn't used to ground combat. We need to use that to our advantage. If we can trap it, we can strike with it having limited moves. Whenever you have a plan, shout it out. We need to take this thing down as soon as possible. Got it?" There was a murmur of understanding. "Good. Let's go!"

The cargo bay opened up above the Telethia. Sharla, Aerith, and Cid stayed on the ship to pick up and take away any injured in this fight. One by one, they all jumped off the ship, diving straight towards the Telethia. It was scorched, limping along the ground, feeding on any Grimm that crossed its path. It saw the approaching attackers, and roared, ready for the Skywind crew.

"JNPR, go!" Tifa yelled. Nora sped up her descent, and smashed her hammer on the Telethia's head. Pyrrha and Jaune came down next, putting their swords below them, landing on the back of the Telethia, penetrating their swords through its thick skin. Ren stabbed one of its eyes, but the Telethia roared and shook the four of them off. Tifa came flying down, delivering a devastating punch to its back. Nanaki landed next to her, biting into its back. Barret and Reyn landed on the sides of it, shooting bullets from afar.

The Telethia soon got up. It shook everyone off of it, and charged up an ether beam. It fired it in a circle around it, causing all of them to retreat. Buildings collapsed around it, making the area fill up with dust and debris in the air. The Telethia roared, and tried to sniff out its prey. Then, from out of nowhere, a swift strike from Dunban hit its face. It roared again, snapping at where Dunban was, but he was gone. Yuffie stroke with her shuriken at its tail, and the Telethia twirled to fight off Yuffie. Tifa was ready, and delivered a swift uppercut to its chin, and retreated. Nora climbed up its back and smashed its head once again, and Pyrrha and Jauned thrust their swords through its neck, but its neck was too thick for one thrust to kill it.

"Summon Bolt!" Melia yelled, and a bolt of lightning came down on the Telethia, stunning it. "Now! Pin it down!"

Ren ran up to its tail, and stabbed the two blades on his guns into the tail, and pinned it to the ground. He grunted, trying to fight the strength of the Telethia.

Dunban ran up to its right wing with Melia, and stabbed his sword into the wing and pinned it. Him and Melia put all their weight on the wing, stopping the Telethia from moving it.

Jaune and Pyrrha pinned the other wing. "OK Tifa!" Pyrrha yelled. "Do it!"

"Reyn!" Tifa yelled. "Go!"

Reyn and Riki ran forward, aiming at the Telethia's neck. Riki stabbed his biter into the gash, and pulled out a chunk of the Telethia's neck. Reyn jumped up into the air. "Now it's REYN TIME!" Reyn yelled as loud as he could, and transformed his mechanical arm into a sword, and sliced straight through the Telethia's neck, killing it for good. Everyone put away their weapons, panting heavily.

"We did it!" Yuffie yelled. "Yeah!"

"We can't celebrate yet." Vincent said. "There are still hoards of Grimm around the city, plus the new dragon one."

"All right, everyone." Tifa said. "Spread out! Take out as many Grimm as you can! We are one step closer to victory!"

* * *

"You still think you can win." Cinder said, her eyes widening. "How? Look around you. Vale is clearly lost. And yet, you still fight us. By now you know that you'll lose your power to me, don't you?"

"This is what needs to be done." Shulk said. "I will not let you win!" His eyes started glowing again, and he activated the Jump aura. Then, the Speed. Then Shield. Buster. Smash. He activated all five at once, his body a complete rainbow. "Come at me!"

Torchwick fired a bullet at Shulk's feet, who jumped up into the air and swung down on the ship that took them, destroying it. He ran forward, and swung quickly at Neo, who jumped away. Shulk chased her, and dodged under Adam's swipe and kicked out his legs. Emerald was shooting bullets from afar, but they weren't affecting Shulk. Neo jabbed at Shulk, but he dodged and grabbed the umbrella. He threw it, with Neo still holding on to it, towards Mercury, who was dashing in to help. They hit each other and fell back.

Shulk ran forwards towards Cinder, who brought up her blades and started to duel with him. "That toy of yours seems to do most of the work." She observed. "Without it, I doubt you'd ever had made it this far." She jumped away, and blasted fire at Shulk. He jumped back as well, and Torchwick was waiting. He swung down his staff, but Shulk brought up his Monado and blocked it, disarming him, and kicking him in the gut.

Shulk ran towards Emerald, who pulled out her blades, and got into a stance position. Shulk slid underneath her legs and kicked out her legs, and with the hilt of his blade, jabbed her in the stomach. He dodged Adam yet again, and blasted fire magic at him. He brought up his blade, which absorbed the energy, but Shulk punched him across the face, and sliced down on Adam, who brought up his blade and blocked it.

"You know you're fighting for the people you hate." Shulk said to Adam. "Why?"

"Why else? Power." Adam kicked Shulk aside, right in front of Cinder, whose eyes were glowing with the power of the Fall Maiden.

"Let's put a limit on you." Cinder said. She shot a huge ball of fire at Shulk, who instinctively brought up his sword. The ball exploded, sending Shulk flying into a large piece of debris. He groaned and sat up, and looked in horror at his sword torn in two, sparking, the symbols from the center disappearing.

Shulk got up slowly, the auras around him shattering. The bag he had around him ripped, and elixirs rolled out, shattering on the ground. "Got a little stockpile of your own, huh?" Mercury said.

"Now he's truly vulnerable." Adam said. "Finally."

"Attack!" Cinder yelled. She aimed an arrow at Shulk, and fired. Shulk dodged, now much slower than before. Mercury dashed in and kicked him in the face, knocking him back. Neo jabbed him with her umbrella, and Adam shot him with a shotgun barrel. Shulk regained his balance and yelled, trying to throw a punch at Mercury, who brought up his leg, and kicked Shulk in the stomach. Shulk summoned lightning and hit all six of them, but their auras absorbed the majority of the blast. Shulk kept using as much magic as he could. Eventually, he tried to fire one last lightning bolt, but he couldn't. He was all out of magic power.

"Hah!" Torchwick said. "Not so tough now, are ya?" Torchwick brought up his cane and smacked it across Shulk's face, knocking him to the ground. Mercury wasted no time, and smashed his foot on Shulk's stomach, knocking the breath out of him. Neo got up in front of Shulk's face and smiled, her eyes changing color to green, then back again. She stomped on Shulk's face. Adam then stabbed Shulk's stomach, taking in the pain on his face.

"Don't kill him, Adam." Cinder said. "We still need him." Adam snarled, then pulled out his sword. "Torchwick?" Cinder said.

Torchwick shot out the hook of his cane, and tied up Shulk. Emerald and Mercury grabbed Shulk's shoulders, pulling him up eye to eye with Cinder.

"You've lost." Cinder observed. Shulk said nothing. "You knew you were gonna lose, didn't you? So, why?" Shulk still didn't answer. "Answer me."

Shulk looked up slowly, a black eye and blood dripping from his nose. Despite his pain, he smiled. "If my sacrifice means the victory of my friends, I will gladly sacrifice myself for them."

Cinder put on a white glove. "So, what you're saying is, if I become a god, then they will win?" Shulk still kept his smug smile. "You really are an idiot."

"Shulk!" A familiar, high-pitched voice said. Shulk looked over to see Ruby turning a corner, eyes wide open. "No!"

Cinder motioned to Torchwick. Torchwick aimed his cane and fired an explosive at Ruby, who dodged. "Oh, Red! I believe we have unfinished business!" He ran forward, with Neo following him.

"Perfect." Cinder said. "Now your friends will see your failure." A red circle appeared in the middle of the glove, and the tick-like Grimm came emerging out, and Shulk closed his eyes as the black webbing shot across his face, blinding him, and his mind left him and didn't return.

* * *

The dragon Grimm was flying high above, but Robin, Yang, Ruby, Weiss, Fiora, Cloud, Morgan and Reflet didn't worry about that. They had one goal at the moment. "Ruby." Robin said. "Use your Semblance and scout ahead. You can see the wreckage of the ship from here. See if you can get to Shulk and help him. Go!"

"On it!" Ruby yelled. She focused, and turned into a bouquet of rose petals, and bounced from wall to wall, trying to reach the wreckage as fast as she could. She skidded to a halt as she reached the wreckage. She looked out in horror as she saw her biggest fear come true. Shulk was tied up, beaten, and held up by Mercury and Emerald to a girl in a red dress, wearing a white glove. Torchwick, Neo, and a man with a rose design on his jacket surrounded them.

"Shulk!" Ruby yelled. "No!" The girl in the red dress motioned to Torchwick, and he untied Shulk from his cane and fired an explosive towards Ruby, who jumped out of the way. She ran around the wreckage. "Oh, Red!" She heard Torchwick call. "I believe we have unfinished business!" She turned and saw him and Neo running after her. She quickly ran around some wreckage and pulled out Crimson Rose. She swung around, hitting Torchwick's cane, and Neo jumped over Torchwick and kicked Ruby in the face. She flew through the air, and stabbed her scythe into the ground, stopping herself. Torchwick fired a bullet directly towards Ruby, but a blur came in front of Ruby and blocked the bullet.

"Come on, Ruby!" Morgan yelled. "We can take these two!" She summoned fire into both of her hands, and ran forward. Ruby pulled Crimson Rose out of the ground and ran next to Morgan, renewed vigor in her.

"Shulk!" Fiora yelled. Shulk's body was shaking violently as Cinder was taking his power. Fiora ran forward by herself, but Mercury let go of Shulk and kicked her square in the gut, blasting her away. She landed on her feet and dashed forward, Cloud next to her. Cloud brought his blade up to Adam's and let Fiora run straight past him. Emerald came up this time and brought each of her blades up to Fiora's, and pushed her away.

"Reflet!" Robin yelled. "You and Weiss go help Ruby and Morgan. Yang and I will go rescue Shulk."

"Got it." Reflet said. She and Weiss turned and dashed towards Neo, who brought up her umbrella and blocked Weiss's stab. Reflet ran right past and killed an Ursa that was about to jump Morgan.

Cinder smiled. The webbing on Shulk's face retracted, and his body fell to the ground. The glove on Cinder's hand disappeared, and the symbol _Mirai_ appeared on her back, which means _future._ Cinder Fall had now become the new seer by force.

"No!" Fiora yelled. Yang got into combat with Mercury, and Robin took over with Emerald, leaving Fiora to dash towards Cinder. "You bitch!" Fiora yelled, and swung down on Cinder. Cinder adapted to her new powers fast, and brought up her blades right before Fiora was about to hit her, and pushed Fiora aside and sliced at her stomach, creating a gash in the armor. It sparked, and Fiora clutched her stomach.

"I could get used to this." Cinder said. "But, I have no time to be toying with you pathetic whelps. Adam, Blake Belladona is below the CCTS Tower. Go to her if you want. Mercury, Emerald, come with me." Cinder kicked Fiora down to the side, and Mercury and Emerald followed, fighting off any of them that choose to follow. Cinder hit some debris, and it fell, blocking the way for any of them to follow.

"Blake's down below us, then?" Adam said. He grabbed Cloud's arm and threw him into Yang, who was dashing forward. He ran off, disappearing into the shadows.

"Oh, come on!" Torchwick yelled. "They left us?!"

Fiora knelt down next to Shulk, brushing his now damaged face. He wasn't breathing. "No..." She said. She threw herself on his body, and cried on him. Cloud came next to her, and pulled her off gently.

"We need to get him on the Skywind." Cloud said. "Maybe Sharla and Aerith can get him up."

"...Right." Fiora said. She pulled out her scroll and dialed in Cid.

Neo kicked Weiss out of her way, and delivered a flurry of swipes to an advancing Robin, who blocked and shot lightning. Neo jumped up and swung down on Yang, who was running in. She dodged, and grabbed her umbrella and threw her, but Neo used her legs and grabbed Yang's neck, and carried her with her. Neo flipped around, flinging Yang into a wall. Reflet ran up behind her and punched Neo, causing her to fall to the ground. Reflet created a cloud of darkness around Neo, blinding her. She looked around, trying to find her opponents.

A punch came from behind Neo, and she recoiled, swinging her umbrella in the direction it came from, but her attacker wasn't there. Lightning hit her from all directions, and she fell to the ground. The darkness disappeared, and Weiss, Reflet, Robin and Yang were standing above her, keeping her imprisoned between them. Neo dropped her umbrella and put her hands behind her head, surrendering.

"Little reds?" Torchwick said. "Now there are two of you!"

"Shut up!" Morgan yelled. Torchwick swung his cane at Morgan, but she rolled behind Torchwick and blasted fire. He flew into the air, and Ruby jumped up and hit Torchwick down again, hitting the ground. Both of them landed and aimed their weapons at Torchwick.

Torchwick sighed. "I hate doing things the hard way..." He said. He swung his cane quickly, tripping both of them. He smacked the two of them. "You want to be heroes?! Then play the part and die like every other Huntsmen in history! As for me, I'll do what I do best; Lie, steal, cheat, and survive!" Right when he was about to deal a finishing blow to Ruby, he was sent flying towards Neo, and rolled right into her.

"Ruby Rose!" Glynda yelled. "Are you all right?"

"Mrs. Goodwitch!" Ruby said, pulling herself up. "Uncle Qrow!"

"Hey, kid." Qrow said. "Glad to see you're still up."

"General Ironwood!" Morgan said. "You're alive!"

"Indeed I am." Ironwood said. "But we must not dwell on the past. I see you have successfully captured two of our evildoers."

"That's putting it nicely." Torchwick said.

"...Mother?!" Yang yelled. She ran towards Raven, who was hiding in the shadows. Raven took off her mask to look at her daughter clearly.

"Yang..." Raven said. "It's good to see you."

"Hey..." Qrow said.

"Uh, come on, Uncle Qrow!" Ruby said. "I want to introduce you to my friend, Morgan!" She dragged Qrow over to where Morgan was talking with her father.

"There's something I need to tell you." Raven said. "I won't be staying."

"What?!" Yang exclaimed. "Why not?!"

"I have a goal in mind." Raven said. "I believe that I am finding a path that will lead to the good of the world. But, it's a path I need to take on my own. You have your own path you're going to follow after this. Both of us will be exploring the world, but not together. You will have friends, but I must go alone."

"But, why?!"

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me." Raven sighed. "You know the story of the maidens, correct?"

"Yes, we all do."

"Well, long story short, it's true. Qrow, Goodwitch, and Ironwood know this as well. And... I am one of those maidens. The Spring Maiden."

Yang laughed. "Oh, come on! You really expect me to believe that?!"

"Yes, after what your sister did to that ginormous bird creature." Raven said. "Her mother, and my friend, Summer Rose, was the Summer Maiden. When she died, Ruby inherited the powers of Summer. I feel that you two, with the powers of two maidens, will become a team so powerful, you could take out nearly any obstacle in your path. So, I'm giving you my power."

"Mom, I'm not sure..." Raven shushed Yang, and closed her eyes. She began to glow yellow, and the aura around her flowed down from her head, up from her legs, until it was all condensed into one ball of light. She lifted up and placed it on Yang's forehead, and the ball melted into Yang's skin, the yellow aura spreading throughout her body. Once the aura surrounded Yang, it disappeared, and mother and daughter opened their eyes, the transfer complete.

"...How did you do that?" Yang asked.

"I've learned some things." Raven said. "Some things maybe I shouldn't know. But, regardless, you are now the new Spring Maiden. Your sister, Ruby Rose, is the Summer Maiden. It is up to you to find and pair up with the other two maidens. I must go now. There is something I need to attend to. Your friends here will save Vale. I am no longer needed, now that the Spring Maiden is here."

Yang sighed, then wrapped her arms around her mother. Raven flinched, but slowly returned the gesture, not used to this kind of sentiment. She let go, put on her mask, and created a portal with her sword. She walked through, leaving Yang with tears in her eyes.

"So." Qrow said, leaning against a wall. "You're the new Spring, huh? That's good. Raven never liked the burden. I felt like it would always fit you."

"Qrow!" Yang said. "So, that's' all..."

"Everything Raven said is true." Qrow confirmed. "Ruby is Summer, you're Spring, and together, you would be extremely powerful."

Yang looked at her hands, not sure how she would use her new power. The Skywind flew above, landing next to Fiora and Cloud, who were carrying Shulk's limp body. "Shulk!" Yang yelled. She quickly ran over there, checking up with Shulk.

"We got him." Aerith said. "We'll figure out what's wrong with him, then see if we can do anything about it."

"Thank you..." Fiora said. She started to cry, and Sharla came over and hugged her.

"It'll be fine." Sharla said. "I promise, I will do whatever I can to get him back. Do you want to come back on the ship?"

"I...would love that." Fiora said. She put away her armor, and followed Sharla and Aerith to the medical bay.

"We'll keep these two on the ship." Robin said to Ironwood. "You're welcome to watch over them, question them, whatever. We can get you a fresh set of clothes, too."

"Very well." Ironwood said. "It is good news to hear that the Telethia is dead. Now we just have that ancient Grimm to deal with, and the one who stole Shulk's power."

"We'll deal with the latter." Robin said. "We promise."

"Good." Ironwood said. "I will go on board this ship and see if I can get anything out of Torchwick and the girl. The students are currently keeping a safe zone for civilians at Beacon. Glynda, care to join me on this ship?"

"Yes, thank you." Glynda said. She and Ironwood walked onto the docking bay. "You, Qrow?"

"Nah." Qrow said. "I'll go help out those students. See if I can kill off a few Grimm, or take out a leader of the White Fang." He turned to Ruby and Yang. "See ya, kiddos." With that, Qrow ran off.

"All right." Ironwood said. "You guys, find are attackers and deal with them. Farewell." The Skywind took off into the air, closing the docking bay, and flew around Vale, seeing if there was anyone to help.

"So, what now?" Ruby asked.

"We do exactly what we signed up for." Robin said. "Let's find a way past this debris, then go and take out Cinder, Emerald and Mercury."

* * *

"Why did Shulk want us down here?" Blake asked Lucina. They had just entered the CCTS Tower, where an elevator sat. In front of the elevator, though...

"Not so fast." Ozpin said, blocking the way. "Where are you two heading? Shouldn't you be out, helping?"

"And why aren't you?" Lucina asked.

"Because I have unfinished business here. I am looking for Pyrrha Nikos. Do you know where she is?"

"Look, Ozpin. I am terribly sorry." Lucina said. "But we must take that elevator down. Shulk said there was something there. Something Blake must do."

Ozpin widened his eyes. "Shulk said that...?" Ozpin sighed. "Very well. You two, come with me." He opened the elevator, and motioned for Blake and Lucina to join him.

The elevator went down. And down. Down so deep the commotion above couldn't be heard. Eventually, the door opened. Ozpin walked out and quickly ran towards the end.

"What is this?" Lucina asked.

"Fall." Was Ozpin's reply. "Blake, you know the story of the maidens?"

"Yes sir." Blake said.

"It's real." Ozpin said. "What you are looking at is the Fall Maiden. Some of her power was taken, and now she's in stasis. If she is taken out of that pod, then she will die. But, we need her power. Ironwood made this machine so that you can attain her powers. We were originally going to have Pyrrha take on this responsibility, but I believe we simply do not have time. Though, I must warn you. If you do this, your life will forever be intertwined with Amber's. Are you all right with this?"

"What?!" Blake exclaimed. "This is...all so fast."

"I know it is, Ms. Belladonna." Ozpin said. "But we must hurry, before-"

"Gah!" Lucina yelled, flying into a wall. She hit it hard, knocking the breath out of her.

"No!" Ozpin yelled. Before he could react, a bullet pierced Amber in the chest, and her eyes opened quickly, feeling the pain immediately. Ozpin quickly opened up the container holding Amber, and Blake rushed to Amber's side. Ozpin turned to see their attacker.

"Professor Ozpin." Adam Taurus said, standing at the end of the hall. "It's been a while."

"So you're this leader of the White Fang I have heard so much about." Ozpin said.

"Adam?!" Blake said, looking up from Amber. "No!"

"Hello, Blake. It's been a while."

"...Blake..." Amber said weakly. "Such a...pretty name..." Amber took her last breath, and her body went limp in Blake's arms.

"No..." Ozpin said. He perked up. "Blake, get out of here." He said.

"Why?!" Blake said.

"You have inherited it." Ozpin said. "The reason Shulk sent you down here was to obtain Fall. You are Fall now. I want to keep it that way!"

"Enough of this." Adam said. He dashed forward, slicing at Ozpin, but Ozpin brought up his cane, blocking the swipe. He kicked Adam away and dashed forward, swiping quickly with his cane.

Blake quickly ran over to Lucina, and helped her up. Lucina groaned. "Sorry. He blindsided me."

"That's all right." Blake said. "Adam's a master swordsman. It takes more than one person to take him out." Blake looked up to Adam and Ozpin dueling. She looked at her hands. If she had the power of Fall, could she save Ozpin?

She lifted up her hand, and closed her eyes. She could feel something inside of her. Something powerful. She yelled, and a blast of wind came shooting out of her hand, blasting Adam into a wall.

Lucina got up, and pulled out a sword. She dashed forward, hitting Adam with the hilt of her blade. Ozpin came dashing in as well, and jabbed at Adam's stomach.

Both Lucina and Ozpin jumped out of the way, leaving Blake to dash in. Adam got up at this point and sliced at Blake, but Blake created a copy of herself and rolled under Adam, hitting him up into the air. Blake jumped on the wall, and pushed herself up into the air as well. Lucina propelled herself up with wind magic, and carried Ozpin up as well. Ozpin smacked Adam, and landed, grunting. Lucina and Blake sliced through Adam, Lucina controlling them with wind magic. They went back and forth, chipping away at Adam's aura. Ozpin pulled on the handle of his cane, and pulled out a rifle. He fired at Adam, hitting him.

Blake flew up, her eyes glowing with the power of Fall. "Grah!" She yelled, and a blast of fire came from her hands. Adam hit the ground hard, his mask skidding across the ground.

Blake and Lucina landed on the ground, and pointed their weapons to Adam, who was hiding his face. "It's over." Blake said. "Put down your sword."

"You traitor..." Adam said. "This could've been our day! We could've become rulers! Instead, you ran! You ran from me! Like I was the monster, not humanity. Now, I see you as nothing but a traitor. I will not yield!" Adam jumped up, showing blood red eyes. He swung at Blake, but Lucina was quick and blocked the swipe. Ozpin came up from behind and stabbed Adam's back, then kicked his legs out from under him. Then Ozpin smacked his cane across Adam's face, knocking him out.

Ozpin huffed. "I'm getting slow in my old age." He said. "But, we did it. Blake, you are now Fall. I have now have no doubt in my mind what Shulk is trying to plan. I just hope his plan succeeds." He turned to the elevator. "Come. We must go up and help in any way we can."

"All right." Blake said. She and Lucina grabbed Adam's unconscious body and carried it to the elevator.

As the elevator went up, Ozpin said something. "You are now carrying a large role, Ms. Belladonna. I hope you are ready."

"Me too." Blake said.

* * *

"Damn it..." Winter said. The dragon just destroyed the other cargo ship that came along, leaving Winter's ship to deal with it.

"Ma'am!" A worker yelled. "We can't kill it with our weapons! It's too strong!"

Winter sighed. "Then ram it."

"Wh-What?!"

"You heard me. The explosion from this ship might be enough to take it out, if we hit it square on." She spoke into the speaker. "Abandon ship! All crew members, get to the nearest evac ship! This includes all of you on here."

"What about you?"

"I will steer the ship myself. When all crew members are evacuated, light this ship up. With any hope, the explosion will be enough to kill this Grimm."

Everyone in the cockpit looked at her with wide eyes. Then, one by one, they saluted. "It was an honor working with you all." Winter said. "Now, leave, and live to fight another day."

They all quickly ran out, leaving Winter alone at the controls. The dragon spotted her, and roared. Winter steered the ship directly towards the Grimm, and flew towards it.

A call came to the ship. She answered. _"All crew members evacuated!"_ The man on the other side of the call said. _"Ready to commence firing, at your command!"_

"Do it!" Winter yelled. She braced herself as explosions came from all sides, and the warning lights for the ship blared all around her. She smiled, then thought about something. She dialed in a number she rarely did.

 _"Winter?"_ Weiss's voice came out of the speakers. _"What's going on?! Your ships are firing on you!"_

"I gave them that order." Winter said. The ship rammed into the dragon, and it roared, being dragged down with the flaming ship. It tried to fly free, but it was trapped.

 _"Winter, the ship's going to explode! You know that, don't you?"_

"Yes, I do." Winter said. "My time is up. I just want to say a few things. Work on your summons, tell Father about me, and..." Winter sighed. "I...I... I love you, Weiss. I wish we would have been closer. Listen. You will become the next Winter. Use the power you will get from me to win this war!"

 _"Winter, I..."_

"Save your breath. I already know."

 _"Win-"_ Winter hung up on Weiss. She focused all her attention on Weiss, sealing the deal that she would become Winter. Then, the ship exploded, and Winter's body vaporized in the heat.

* * *

"No..." Weiss said, seeing the explosion in the distance. Winter was on that ship. She sacrificed herself to take out that ancient Grimm, and she succeeded. The entire city could see the explosion, and the scream of the Grimm fade away slowly. It was dead. But, it wasn't over.

"Blake!" Ruby yelled, seeing Blake and Lucina in the distance, followed by Ozpin. Lucina had a limp body over her back.

Robin pulled out his scroll. "Cid, time to land again. We got another prisoner."

Thankfully, the Skywind didn't go far. It landed quickly, and Lucina carried the limp body of Adam to the prison section of the ship, where Torchwick and Neo were being held.

Sharla walked out. Dunban quickly ran over. "How's Shulk?"

"He's still alive." Sharla said. "But there's absolutely no brain activity. Whatever Cinder did, it completely turned off his brain. No Materia we have is doing any good. It's only keeping him alive until we can figure out how to turn his brain back on.

"All right. How's Fiora?"

"She's...not doing too well. Best not to bother her right now."

"I see."

Lucina walked out of the ship, followed by Ironwood and Glynda, Ironwood with a fresh suit on. Ozpin walked towards them. "I see that you have good news?" Ironwood asked.

"I believe so." Ozpin said. "we have just captured the leader of the White Fang. They will soon be pulling out of Vale, retreating from the Grimm. The big threats are now over. The Telethia and Dragon are dead. Now we just-"

Another roar pierced the air. Multiple. There were hundreds of Grimm in the air already, ranging from Nevermores to Griffons. But now, joining them, hundreds to thousands of Telethia flying in from all over, ranging from human sized to stadium sized. They were feeding on the Grimm in the air. "Oh, for f *$s sake!" Barret yelled. "Now we have more Telethia?! What the hell are we supposed to do now?!"

"Damn it." Robin said. "I was afraid something like this would happen. It seems that two years ago, when Shulk recreated the world, he didn't destroy the Telethia. They fled all over the world, and reproduced. It appears that the one we took out was the mother of all Telethia here in Remnant."

"And now every single Telethia is here, feeding on the largest concentration of Grimm in history." Jaune said. "Perfect! Just what we needed!"

"What do we do now?" Pyrrha asked.

Robin sighed. "I really hoped we didn't need to do this." He motioned for his family to come over to him. One by one, he handed each of them green stones.

It was Reflet's turn to sigh. "Damn. Things must be going really rough now, if we have to pull these out."

"What are they?" Tifa asked.

"Dragon stones." Lucina explained. "You all know that all four of us, at one point or another, have been dragons?"

"Yes." Melia said. "You two were the hosts of Naga and Grima, Morgan once became host to Atera, and Reflet is a copy of Robin."

"Wait, what was that last part?" Yang asked.

"Never mind that." Robin said. "Well, when they left each of us, they didn't leave without a trace." Each of them pulled back their hair, and revealed pointed ears towards the top, instead of rounded ones. "We have the blood of dragons in our veins still."

"These stones will awaken that blood." Morgan continued. "When it does, we'll...become dragons again."

"We've known about this for a long while." Lucina said. "About our blood. We've been wanting to avoid this, since we aren't naturally able to turn into dragons, like Manaketes. If we turn into dragons..."

"There's a chance we might not turn back." Reflet finished. "But it's a chance we need to take."

"No." Cloud said. "If you will lose yourself in the process, I won't let you do it." Cloud pulled out his sword, and pointed it at the four of them.

"Well, to bad." Reflet said. "This is the only option handed to us."

"Go!" Robin yelled. Lucina used wind magic and shot all four of them up into the air. In the air, they each used their dragon stones.

"Morgan!" Ruby yelled. "No!"

Their screams could be heard in the air, and their bodies twisted into cruel shapes. Wings protruded from their backs, their arms and legs grew claws, and their necks extended. Their screams became roars, and soon, four dragons were flying in the air, one yellow, one green, one red, and one black. Each of them were clearly based on the elements Robin, Lucina, Morgan and Reflet used.

They landed violently on the ground, roaring at their once friends. "Robin!" Cloud yelled. "Wake up! Don't let the beast take over!" The dragon that was once Robin responded with shooting lightning at Cloud, electrocuting him.

"Cloud!" Tifa yelled. She ran forward about to punch Robin, but Yang's hand came up. "What? Why?!"

Slowly, team RWBY walked up to the four dragons. Each of them reared back, ready to attack. But they didn't. "What's going on?" Glynda asked.

"The Maidens are...talking to the dragons." Ozpin said. "Talking, bringing them back. Incredible."

"So, these are the four new maidens?" Ironwood said. "Team RWBY, each of them one of the maidens. Remarkable."

Each of the members of team RWBY walked up to a respective dragon: Yang to Robin, Blake to Lucina, Weiss to Reflet, and Ruby to Morgan. They all seemed to be glowing with the power of the maidens. _"There's no need to fight."_ They all said in unison. _"We are your friends. We are here to protect you. To help you. You are not beasts. You are the elements. Now, awaken the two other elements, and we will win!"_

"Other elements?" Melia asked. "What do they mean?"

The four dragons stepped back, and circled around the maidens. Then, starting with Robin, they shot their elements up into the sky. Lightning, Wind, Fire, Darkness. They collided in the sky, and where they collided, a large portal opened up. It grew and grew, until two more dragons came flying out. One was blue, while the other was pure white. They flew down, and the elemental beams stopped. The two new dragons flew down and landed in the circle of dragons surrounding the maidens, and all six of the dragons bowed down to the maidens.

 _"Reincarnations of the elements: Lightning, Fire, Wind, Darkness, Water, and Ice."_ The maidens once again said in unison. _"You are now united. Now keep your human conscious, and as dragons, defeat this menace, and save the world you have created!"_ The six dragons roared, and took to the skies, firing blasts of fire, lightning, water, ice, darkness, and wind at the Telethia and Grimm all over Vale.

The auras around team RWBY disappeared, and they were back to their normal selves. "Woah." Ruby said. "Did we just do that?"

"Yes, we did." Weiss said. "I am just as surprised as you."

"It appears we have sky support now." Ozpin said. "Our dragon friends will be sure to continue their work. We will worry about our new arrivals at a later point. Right now, we must find this power thief. She could be anywhere-"

"She's north." Blake said. "I can feel the other part of Fall in her. She is north, waiting."

"For what?" Reyn asked.

"The maidens." Blake said. "She's waiting for us."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Cloud asked. "You four will fight this Cinder. Meanwhile, the rest of us will fight her minions, ensuring you a fair fight just between you four and her. We must get back the powers she stole. Everyone on board! Blake, I want you up front with Cid, guiding him to where Cinder is hiding."

"Got it!" Blake said. She ran up to the cockpit, ready to end this.

"We're doing this." Cloud said. "We are about to win the greatest battle in Remnant's history. If we fail here, it isn't just Vale that falls. It will eventually be all of Remnant, then Gaea, then the rest of the world. If we fail here, we lose the world. So let us not fail! Tonight, we stand! We will not go quietly!"

* * *

"They're coming." Cinder said. "I can see it. They will soon be here."

"Do you see us failing?" Mercury asked. "I mean, they took out two of our biggest advantages, and have Torchwick, Neo and Adam all prisoner."

"There is one path I can see of them winning." Cinder said. "But, it will require one of the biggest miracles mankind has ever seen. They will need an army out of nowhere, ready to kill all Grimm left standing in Vale. But, if that doesn't happen, then it doesn't matter. We will win if anything else happens."

"That's good to hear." Emerald said. "I don't like all this fighting. I just want it to end, one way or another."

"Good, because it will end in our victory, as long as everything goes well."

* * *

The Skywind landed. Blake had led them to an abandoned part of town, where many buildings stood, but were falling apart, never taken down for new buildings to grow. "This is the place." Blake said. "I can feel her. She knows. She knows we're here."

"Yes she does." A voice said from shadows. Mercury and Emerald walked out, alone. Cinder wasn't with them. "She is waiting for the Maidens. Only the Maidens."

"Cinder will only let them through." Emerald said. "If anyone else will follow, we will be forced to take them out. Let the Maidens through, then we will leave you in peace."

"Cloud, should we?" Ruby asked. Cloud nodded. "OK... Come on, team RWBY. Let's finish this." The four members of Team RWBY ran past Emerald and Mercury, and they didn't fight back. They let them go.

"Now, Cinder didn't say what to do with the rest remaining." Mercury said, smiling. He pulled out his scroll, and pressed a button on it. Grimm from all around roared, and jumped from surrounding buildings. Every type of Grimm was here, and all of them had collars on them.

"The White Fang were generous enough to get together a small militia of Grimm for us to control." Emerald said. "5000, to be exact. Now, we will use all of them against you right now."

Mercury pressed a button, and all the Grimm charged the crew of the Skywind. "Go!" Cloud yelled. The remaining crew of the Skywind, including Ironwood, Glynda, and Ozpin charged down the unrelenting number of Grimm. Cloud and Tifa didn't bother with them, and jumped over the majority of the monsters, and went into combat with Emerald and Mercury.

"Come on, Jaune!" Pyrrha yelled. "Stay with me!"

"I'm not leaving your side, Pyrrha." Jaune said. The two of them went back to back, and defended each other from the advancing darkness surrounding them.

"Nora Smash!" Nora yelled, swinging her hammer down on a Beowolf, and shot an explosive from it, launching herself out of harm's way. She started swinging her hammer, hitting Grimm along the way. Ren followed closely behind her, shooting bullets and flipping over Grimm swipes.

"Final Cross!" Fiora yelled, and destroyed many Grimm advancing towards the Skywind. She ran forward, her suit repaired. She found Dunban, Melia, Reyn and Riki, and they swung at the onslaught of Grimm, determined to win for Shulk.

"There's so many!" Yuffie yelled, throwing her shuriken, which sliced through many Grimm before returning to her. Vincent shot a Grimm behind Yuffie, and brought his gun over his shoulder, killing an Ursa that was about to jump on him. Cait Sith ran forward, trying his best to keep all the Grimm at bay with magic. Nanaki jumped out of a horde of Grimm, and roared, a beam of light appearing above him and penetrating a row of Grimm. However, the divide quickly filled up with even more Grimm, which charged the Skywind crew.

Nora screamed as a Grimm tackled her to the ground, and even more Grimm kept jumping on her. "Nora!" Ren yelled, and tried to help her, but more Grimm stopped him from advancing.

"Nora's in trouble!" Jaune yelled. "We have to help her!"

"We can't!" Pyrrha yelled. "There's too many Grimm between us and her!"

Mercury kicked Tifa, who brought up her arms and blocked the strike. But, a Grimm came and swiped at her back, and she yelled in pain. She used some quick magic, and got right back into battle.

Cloud was having trouble with Emerald. She was using her Semblance to confuse Cloud, making him see four Emeralds. He pulled out his two small blades, and swung, but each Emerald he hit was a fake, replaced quickly by another fake Emerald. At this time, Emerald swung at Cloud from behind, and he yelled, and turned quickly to strike, but Emerald wasn't there, jumping into the sea of Grimm. "Come out and fight!" Cloud yelled. He blasted fire magic into the Grimm, but only succeeded in killing a few Grimm. Emerald came from behind again, this time swiping upwards, and kicking Cloud's legs out from under him. She kicked his head hard, knocking him out.

"Cloud!" Tifa yelled. Mercury punched Tifa in the back at this point, and she yelled in pain and turned around just as Mercury brought up his boot, and kicked Tifa square in the face, sending her skyward. She landed on top of the Skywind with a thud, unconscious.

A roar came from above, and lightning shot down where Nora was. "Oh yeah!" Nora yelled, and pushed, knocking all of the Grimm off of her, powered up from the lightning. She killed the Grimm next to Ren, and paired up with him. Pyrrha and Jaune were able to fight their way through the Grimm towards Nora and Ren, and together, they fought off the impending Grimm.

The six elemental dragons swooped in from above, fighting off Grimm near their comrades. However, two large Telethia came flying through, and took the attention of the dragons. They had to fly off, fighting off the newly arrived Telethia.

"This is hopeless!" Melia yelled. "We need help!"

The sound of gunfire and roaring Grimm came from afar. "What's going on?!" Reyn exclaimed.

A Grimm swiped at Dunban, who brought up his sword to defend himself. Before the swipe came down, however, the Grimm fell apart in two, dissolving. Dunban looked up to see his savior. "Glad to see you, Chrom." Dunban said.

"Sorry we weren't here sooner." Chrom said. He turned. "Attack!" Chrom yelled.

Grimm went flying as the Army of the Emblem advanced, clearing out Grimm. In the midst, there were Mechon, as well as Colony 9 Defence Force soldiers and ex Shinra soldiers.

From the other side, the students of Remnant fought off the Grimm, followed by Atlas specialists. "Oh, hell yeah!" Barret yelled. "Time to kick some ass!"

"No!" Emerald yelled. "This isn't supposed to happen!"

Pyrrha jumped forward, and swung down on Emerald, who jumped out of the way. "So it was you." Pyrrha said. "It was you who used an illusion on me to make me kill Penny."

"Who told you?" Emerald asked.

"It doesn't matter." Pyrrha said. "Right now, it's my job to stop you!" She dashed forward, past Cloud's limp body, and swung her spear. Emerald stopped it with one of her blades and swung at Pyrrha with the other, who blocked it with her shield.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune yelled. "Hold on, I'm coming to help!" He ran forward, but a bullet hit him in the side, skidding back. Mercury walked forward casually, smiling cockily.

"Jaune!" Nora yelled. She started to run forward, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. "Reyn?!"

"Hold up, kiddo." Reyn said. "If you're leader's gonna join us, he has to prove himself. Don't worry. If he's in trouble, we'll intervene. Right now, there are still many Grimm. We gotta job to do."

"...Fine." Nora said. She turned towards the Grimm, many of them running away from the battle, the newly arrived Army of the Emblem bringing a surge of hope to the people of Vale.

"It looks like all the Grimm are here." Fiora observed. "With them, the Telethia. Come on! Let's finish this!"

"Riki is ready!" Riki yelled.

"Chrom." Dunban said. "Just a fair warning, there are six dragons in the sky right now. Four of them are Robin, Lucina, Morgan and Reflet. Just make sure nobody takes them down. They're on our side."

"Warning noted." Chrom said. "Um... Who's Reflet?"

"Oh, Robina decided to change her name." Fiora said. "It's not important right now. Let's go!"

Pyrrha was deep in combat with Emerald. She couldn't concentrate on Pyrrha, her mind now cleared with a clear goal in her mind. Emerald couldn't use her Semblance on Pyrrha. "This isn't supposed to happen!" Emerald yelled. "Cinder's plan was flawless!"

"Well, you didn't count on one thing." Pyrrha said. "Our will to survive!" She dashed forward, bashed with he shield, catching Emerald off balance, and hit her head with the back of her spear, knocking her out. She looked out to Jaune, who wasn't doing to well. "Hold on!"

"No." Cloud grunted, getting up. Pyrrha grabbed his shoulders and helped him stand up. "This is his fight. He needs to grow."

"Really, this is too easy." Mercury said, kicking Jaune's shield, knocking him down on the ground. "What's with you? I mean, seriously. You're surrounded by some of the strongest people in the world. What are you, compared to them?"

Jaune got up, an angry expression on his face. "I don't care what I am. If I die to protect those I love, then I have succeeded in my mission. Now, once more!" Jaune charged forward, and Mercury got in fighting position, ready to hit Jaune when he failed. Jaune ran forward, but, right when Mercury was about to strike, Jaune jumped into the air, higher than anything he'd ever done before. A light shone around him: his Aura, protecting him from everything. His weapon had also transformed. He landed, a shield in blue, with a red bird-like design in the middle, and three golden triangles above the bird. His sword had grown in length, the same triangle pattern on the blade. It had a purple hilt, wing-like guards on either side, and green ribbons intertwined on the hilt. It had a golden diamond embedded in the middle.

"What...?" Jaune exclaimed.

"So what?" Mercury said. "You're still the same." He kicked at Jaune's face, but Jaune brought up his shield, his reflexes faster. The shield blocked it surprisingly well, and Mercury's eyes widened in surprise. Jaune pushed Mercury's leg, and swiped down with his new sword, cutting the robotic leg cleanly off. He brought it down to Mercury's other leg, and sliced it off just as well. He kicked the legless Mercury down to the ground, and aimed his sword at his neck.

"Surrender." Jaune said. Mercury slowly put up his hands, grunting his disapproval. Dunban and Reyn came forward and grabbed Mercury, while Barret grabbed the unconscious Emerald and brought her to the Skywind.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha yelled. Jaune turned around as Pyrrha kissed him on the lips. Neither of them let go for the longest time. Eventually, they heard a cough. They broke away from each other.

"Good job, Jaune." Ren said.

"Yeah!" Nora said. "You were so cool! You're new weapon is so cool as well! I wish mine could transform like that!"

"It can't be..." Marth said, walking forward with Ike and Roy behind him. He looked at it in shock.

"What?" Jaune asked.

"The Master Sword." Ike said. "But that means..."

"What does it mean?" Pyrrha asked.

"No." Roy said. "We can't say. We aren't for sure certain, but we'll tell you when we are."

"Yes." Cloud said, walking forward, towing Tifa. "All the Grimm are cleared out of Vale. With them, the Telethia. Now we just need to call down the dragons, hopefully restoring them to their normal selves."

"Uh, looks like we don't have to do that." Reyn said. The six dragons flew overhead, and landed in a line.

"They don't look happy." Jaune said. They roared, looking like they were gonna attack. Everyone pulled out their weapons, ready to defend themselves from the dragons that were once their friends.

* * *

"So, you've made it." Cinder said, talking to the four maidens who just ran in. She was facing away, looking at a map of Remnant, labeled with targets on the kingdoms, the first being Vale.

"Cinder, stop this." Ruby said. "Or we will have to make you!"

Cinder merely smiled. "Salem." She said. "That is why this is happening."

"Salem?" Weiss asked. "What is that?"

"Not what, but who. Her way will bring true peace to this world. A world where yes, nobody is free, but there will be no conflict. No war, and no hatred." Cinder turned, her eyes glowing blue with the power of the seer. "You think your mission will bring peace?! Ha! I have seen what will become of you. You're going on a fools errand, joining the trip across this world. Salem's plan will bring true peace to us all!"

"Enough talk!" Yang yelled. She fired a bullet at Cinder, but she avoided it and shot fire at the four of them. They rolled out of the way, and Blake and Yang charged Cinder. She dodged each one of Yang's punches, and slapped her to the side. Blake came running forward, and Cinder hit her with her sword, but the illusion took the hit. Blake jumped up into the air, and came down with her sword in hand. But, Cinder was prepared, and blocked the attack, and kicked Blake away. She blasted fire at the advancing Ruby and Weiss, stopping them in their tracks.

Her eyes were glowing ferociously, the entire world changing around them, changing to a living hell, with black spires protruding out of the ground, red clouds fogging the entire terrain, and the shattered moon above a blood red sky. "This world is too chaotic for its own good!" Cinder yelled. "It needs a leader! One who can straighten it out right! Lead it on the path of unity!"

"Where are we?!" Blake yelled.

"It doesn't matter!" Ruby yelled. "Come on! We are the maidens! We can stop her!" She used her Semblance and dashed forward, avoiding attacks by Cinder, and swung at her with her scythe. Cinder blocked all of the attacks, and jumped out of the way as Blake came from behind and tried to attack Cinder, but hit Ruby instead when Cinder jumped out of the way.

"We need a plan!" Weiss yelled.

"What can we do?!" Yang yelled. "She has Shulk's powers. And we've all seen what Shulk can do with that power."

"I think I've got something." Blake said. She closed her eyes, and reached out her hand. "Join me!"

"What?!" Weiss yelled. "What kind of plan is that?!"

"Just do it, Weiss." Ruby said. Her and Yang stood up and held out their hand, joining Blake. Weiss sighed and did the same. Cinder was closing in fast, ready to strike the four of them with one swift swipe. Right when Cinder swiped, all four of their eyes opened at once, and Blake made an illusion of all four of them, which Cinder hit instead of them. Then, Blake reached out and touched the symbol on the small of Cinder's back. Cinder gasped, and an orange aura surrounded her and Blake. The aura around Cinder began to disappear, and Blake's strengthened. Soon, Blake let go, and the entirety of the Fall Maiden's power was rightfully hers.

"No!" Cinder yelled. "This isn't right! Why didn't I see that? I have the seer's power!"

Team RWBY started each to glow with the power of the maidens. Their weapons were taken from them, into the air, and they started to glow as well. A blinding light engulfed their weapons, and when the light disappeared, team RWBY had their weapons back, but they were glowing gold, with a magical aura around them.

"This is impossible!" Cinder yelled. "That power was mine! MINE!"

"Now!" Ruby yelled. "Freezer burn!" Weiss froze the ground, and Yang punched it, her newly powered up weapons creating even more fog than ever before. It was almost blinding. Cinder tried looking around, but the power of the seer wasn't working. Her head was aching, but she ignored the pain.

"Ice Flower!" Ruby yelled. Weiss created glyphs in front of Ruby's scythe, and she fired bullets at Cinder, freezing the ground around her. "Ladybug!" Ruby and Blake ran forward, running back and forth, hitting Cinder again and again, her aura quickly depleting. "Checkmate!" Weiss ran forward, and with Blake, sent a flurry of swipes at Cinder, who tried her best to stop them, but couldn't. "Bumblebee!" Blake threw her whip at Yang, who caught it. Blake swung around, and Yang used her new momentum to hit Cinder square in the chest, breaking her free from the ice, and sending her skidding back. "Morning Sky!" Ruby yelled. She ran with Yang forward, and swung her scythe at Cinder, who got up quickly and dodged, but Yang ran up from behind and hit her up into the air. Ruby aimed down her scope, and fired a perfect shot straight at Cinder's head, almost depleting her aura.

"Now!" Ruby yelled. The four of them ran forward, their eyes glowing the color of the seasons. They lifted up their hands, each of them sending out a ball of energy each representing the four seasons. "Four Season Strike!" They each jumped up into the air, and one by one they came down, hitting Cinder with their energy. Spring, Fall, Winter, Summer. They each came down hard on Cinder, and the blood red sky disappeared.

When the dust settled, they were back in the same warehouse. Cinder was slowly getting up, her aura gone. When she stood up, she screamed, a blue energy emanating from her head. She crumpled to the ground limply, and the blue energy flowed outward, to who knows where.

"We...did it!" Ruby yelled, hugging Yang. The four of them admired their new golden weapons, with almost sacred power.

A roar came from outside. "No time to celebrate just yet." Blake said. "We need to get our friends back."

"Right!" Ruby said. "Come on!"

* * *

The dragons were angry. They were out of control. They couldn't tell what was right and what was wrong. They saw a lot of people holding things that could hurt them, but they didn't care. If it could hurt them, it was a threat. The six of them were side by side, ready to attack. Then, their minds became clouded. Four women appeared in their thoughts, each with drastically different personalities. _"Your fight is done."_ They said in unison. _"Return to yourselves, and return to us!"_ The dragons roared. A light encompassed them, and their bodies transformed, and became more humanoid. All six of them collapsed on the ground.

* * *

"Come on, Morgan..." A high pitched voice said above Morgan. "Wake up, please... It's me Ruby. Come back!"

Morgan groaned, and tried to sit up. "...Ruby!"

"Yay!" Ruby yelled. "You're alive! I was worried for a bit. You were the last one to wake up."

"Wake up from what?"

"Uh... Do you remember about you being a dragon?"

"I...remember taking the dragonstone and using it to transform. Nothing much afterward." She gasped. She looked around to see she was back in her room on the Skywind. "Did we win?! Is everyone alive?!"

"Uh, yes!" Ruby said. "All of us are alive, and all healed up. It's been a week since then. You're parents woke up a few hours ago, along with Reflet. I was getting a bit worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Hey, there she is." A voice said from the hallway. Shulk came walking up, his face still bearing a slight scar from the Grimm that sapped his power. "How are you, Morgan!"

"Shulk!" Morgan said. "You're back!"

"Yes, I am." Shulk said. "After Ruby and her team here defeated Cinder, my powers returned, and I woke up immediately. Now, I'm fully recovered. This mark might not go away anytime soon, but I'll live with it. How about you have Ruby there help you up to go see your parents and mysterious newcomers?"

"Newcomers?" Morgan asked.

"Shulk?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, Ruby?" Shulk acknowledged.

"Why couldn't Cinder use the powers of the seer when she had them? She could've beaten us, but she couldn't use it properly."

"Being a seer isn't something you can take. It requires physical and mental strength few possess. If the person is deemed unworthy, the power will move to the next person who is deemed worthy. I was deemed worthy by my predecessor, Cinder took that power from me, but it didn't find her worthy, so traveled back to me, reviving me."

"I see." Ruby said. "Well, anyways! Here, Morgan, let's go see these new people. We'll have to go past the prison to get to them, but I think you might be happy to see it." Ruby helped Morgan up, and, with a bit of a struggle, got her used to walking again. When they passed the prison, Morgan smiled, seeing Torchwick, Neo, Adam, Emerald, Mercury, and Cinder all locked up in separate cells. "Cid did something with the cells so that they can't use their Semblances in anyway. No escaping for them anytime soon!"

When they passed the prison, they reached the room the newcomers were in. Robin, Lucina, Reflet, and the rest of team RWBY were there. Sitting down, two people, a boy and a girl, with white blonde hair, were sitting down, in silver clothing, wearing a blue cape and no shoes.

"Morgan!" Lucina yelled. She walked up to her daughter and hugged her. "Good to see you up."

"You too." Morgan said. "Who are these two?"

"We'll introduce ourselves." The boy said. "We are the royal twins of Nohr. I'm Corrin."

"And I'm Kamui." The girl said. "Now, how did we get here?"

"Truthfully, we don't know." Robin said.

"We saw you come out of a portal in the sky, as dragons." Weiss said.

"Yeah!" Ruby said. "It was pretty cool, but that portal closed after you two came out."

"Dragons?!" Corrin exclaimed. "That can't be right... I know we have the blood of dragons running through us, but.."

"Excuse me." Cloud said, walking into the room. "Hello. I'm Cloud Strife. I understand that you come from a different world?"

"We are from Nohr." Kamui said. "If you've never heard of it, then I suppose we are, yes."

"Nohr..." Reflet said. "Is there another kingdom known as Hoshido next to your borders?"

"Yes!" Corrin said. "So you know of it?"

"Yes, I know of the mythical kingdoms of Nohr and Hoshido, tensions always tight between the two."

"Mythical?" Kamui asked. "Oh no..."

"Hey." Cloud said. "If you came from there, there's a way back. We'll find it. Now, Cid wants all of us up on the deck. That includes you two. I'll meet you up there." He left the room.

"Come on!" Ruby said. "I'm sure you'll love everyone here!" She left, and everyone else followed.

"This is too strange." Corrin said.

"I know, brother." Kamui said. "Xander would know what to do..."

"Well, he's far from here. The best we can do is stay with these people." They stood up, and ran to catch up with their visitors."

"Hello, Corrin, Kamui." Shulk said, shaking their hands. "Hope you've been getting used to us?"

"It'll take a while." Kamui said. "It certainly is awe inspiring, though. All of...this."

"Sure is." Cid said. "Took years to make!"

"Be quiet." Robin said. "You never had anything to do with the bulk of it!"

"But I am the one constantly fine tuning it."

"Can't argue with that." Tifa said, smiling.

"Anyway." Shulk said. "Repairs to Vale and Beacon are complete. The Grimm no longer seem to be interested in attacking here. No reports of Telethia have been given, either. The Army of the Emblem have pulled back a bit, ready for us to discover any new lands. We're ready for liftoff, just one more thing." He walked towards Corrin and Kamui. "Corrin and Kamui. If I can offer it, will you join us on our journey? We go around, discovering new lands, and striving for a world of peace. If you join us, it will give you a chance to find your homeland. But be warned: we are a team of good. Whenever we run into conflict, we do our best to help them. Now that I have said all this, the choice is yours."

Corrin and Kamui looked at each other. They seemed to talk to each other telepathically, like twins. Then they both turned to Shulk and nodded. "We accept." They said in unison.

Shulk smiled. "Excellent." Shulk turned around. "We'll leave in a few hours. If you wish to say goodbye to your friends here, teams JNPR and RWBY, then by all means, go right ahead.

Everyone at Beacon hailed them as heroes. Even team CFVY, considered to be the coolest team of them all, had praises to say. Some were jealous, others happy for them. Cardin Winchester even apologized to Jaune for all the things he did to him. Jaune, with some convincing from Pyrrha, accepted his apology. Blake and Weiss parted with Neptune and Sun, though they promised to call each other and visit as often as possible.

With goodbyes done, everyone got back on the Skywind. Shulk nodded to Cid, and the Skywind took off, flying toward the vast unknown. Thirty heroes were on the Skywind, and more were yet to come.

* * *

"Their numbers are growing." A man with a calm, collected voice said. He walked over and poured some tea in a cup for his shady master.

"I can see that!" The woman said angrily. "What are we going to do?"

"Cinder Fall did fail her mission." The servant said. "Even with Salem giving her all she needed. Perhaps we need to send someone more...powerful."

"But who?"

"Perhaps, we should send more than one. Part of their search is to find Hoshido and Nohr now. Perhaps we should be ready for them when they eventually reach those kingdoms."

 **A/N: School. That's all I have to say. I fell behind, and I've been swamped with homework and assignments. This simply had to be pushed to the side. Not to mention this chapter became way longer than I ever expected. I suppose I shouldn't make promises I can't keep, huh? Anyway, I'm torn between four options for the next chapter. I decided to let you guys vote which one you want in the review section next. Please note, though, I will do a chapter on all of these franchises eventually. I just want a vote to see what I should do next. 1st option: Fire Emblem Fates. My only problem with this one is that the games just barely came out, and I kind of want to give people time to experience the story before I do much with it. 2nd choice: Kid Icarus. I feel it fits very well, but I don't have as much of a thought out story as some others, like the Fates chapter I will eventually write. 3rd choice: The Legend of Zelda/Hyrule Warriors. This one seems like a no brainer to write. I would probably do Hyrule Warriors, since it has a reason to cross over with so many games in the franchise. Last choice: Pokemon. It's Pokemon's 20th anniversary this year, and I want to celebrate it. Since 30 can be divided by 6, I could have 5 people from the Skywind land in each of the 6 regions. Only problem with this one is the recently announced Pokemon Sun and Moon. I may want to wait until that one comes out. Anyway, Fire Emblem Fates, Kid Icarus, The Legend of Zelda/Hyrule Warriors, or Pokemon. Please tell me which one you want in the review section. I'll probably come out with a little side story not really connected to the "canon" of my story in the meantime, something I've wanted to do for a while. Anyway, hope you enjoyed!**


	5. XenoWorlds: A World Above

"Watch out! Coming through!" Morgan yelled, almost knocking down Kamui, who was turning a corner.

"Whoa!" Kamui yelled, falling on her butt. "Watch it!" She stood up, but was quickly knocked down again as a flash of red rose petals passed her, moving even faster.

"Sorry!" Ruby yelled. She bounced off the wall, and grabbed Morgan by her waist, and dashed towards the open door at the end of the hall. Her and Morgan skidded right into their neighboring seats next to the rest of team RWBY, right as the doors closed behind them.

"Arrived just on time, I see." Lucina said.

"Sorry, mom." Morgan said.

"It's all right, honey. Just be more aware of time next time, all right?"

"OK, mom."

Lucina nodded. She walked up to the front of the room. "Team RWBY, team JNPR, it's been a week since you've joined us on our adventure. While we are all glad you've joined us, we believe it is time to teach you about what our goals are, and what we know about this new world. We have three main goals. First and the most important, discover new people and culture, and be ambassadors of our respective 'plane', as we are now calling our lands. We are trying to make peace with each of our countries, hopefully creating a world where we can all walk forward, hand in hand. Second, help these new people we meet, like we did with Remnant. Third, hunt down and exterminate the creatures known as Telethia." Lucina pushed a button on her scroll, and a large picture was put up behind her of the Telethia that awoke at Remnant.

"Why are we trying to...exterminate Telethia?" Weiss asked.

"Telethia are very intelligent, very dangerous creatures." Morgan said. "You all know about the Bionis and the Mechonis, the entirety of how our worlds came together. The Telethia served the Bionis, which became our enemy in the later time of the war."

"Exactly." Lucina said. "Somehow, they're alive, and without anyone controlling them, they're going on a rampage. If we find any, they need to be eliminated immediately. That's why I've gathered both of you here today. To teach you more about the Telethia, and give you some background on what we know about this new world."

"Oh boy." Yang nudged Ruby. "This'll be long."

"Yep." Ruby whispered. "No offense, Morgan, but you're mom's not the best at history."

"That is true." Morgan said, looking Ruby in the eyes. "But, come on! This is important."

"Shh!" Nora shushed them, a little loudly, and turned around with full focus on Lucina.

After Lucina finished and let them go, Ruby and Morgan ran out quickly, Ruby grabbing Morgan and using her Semblance, which she was quickly getting the hang of. "Where are they going?" Pyrrha asked.

"I don't know." Weiss said. "Those two have been getting very close lately."

"I know it." Yang said. "But come on! This is good for Ruby. Even growing up, she never really had a close friend." Yang cupped her hands around her mouth. "Stay safe, Ruby!" But they were already gone.

* * *

A knock came from Robin's door to his office. He slowly stood up, pulling himself away from his research, and answered the door. Shulk was standing there, still bearing the scars on his face from the battle at Remnant. "Hey." Shulk said. "Do you have some time?"

"Sure." Robin said, letting Shulk come into his office. He closed the door behind Shulk. "What is it?"

Shulk sighed. "Lately, we've become really close friends. If I need to talk to anyone, it's always you I come to." Shulk looked around the room a bit distractedly, then spoke again. "My gift of foresight...It's gone."

"Gone?!" Robin exclaimed.

"Not gone gone, but shaky. I can't see all the paths of time as I could before, and it seems I am no longer in control of what I see when. It's been that way ever since Remnant."

Robin rested his head on his palm, thinking. "It could be a side effect. The powers of seer were given to you, taken, then came back to you. I'm not entirely sure about it, but I believe that Cinder somehow changed the abilities in her mind. It sounds crazy, I know, but it's the best I can think of right now. Have you gone and questioned Cinder?"

"I did, but she wouldn't speak, as I expected."

"Hmm..." Robin said. He walked over to his desk and pulled out a notebook. "While I'm not sure about you're situation, there's something I think you might want to see." He walked back over to the awaiting Shulk. "I've gotten copies of myths and legends from all planes we have discovered: Mira, Gaea, Remnant, Ylisse, and all the other countries. In all these myths, there are bound to be dragons. But here's the crazy part. All of these different documents put together tell a story."

"What?!"

"It's incomplete, but what we have here, based on all these myths from different planes, are that there are a group of demigods from unknown lands, who have built a strong relationship with dragons, during the war between dragons and humans, and even dragons against dragons, as said in the not-so myths of Hoshido and Nohr. These dragon riders, as they are called in Gaea's prints, defied what was established in the ancient world. In Remnant's legends, it states that the maidens once had dragon companions, almost like pets, and that they were each maiden was very close with their respective dragon. Sadly, I don't have everything, but documents from High Entia state that a rare, ancient race of beasts controlled by humanoid figures that once flew around Bionis and Mechonis disappeared. No trace of them left."

"So what? These are all myths, all of them from once completely different worlds."

"That's what I thought, too. But the more I thought about it, the more it didn't make sense. If these worlds were really as separate as we thought, then how come their legends and myths tie together almost seamlessly?" Robin closed the journal and turned to look at Shulk. "Myths and legends start somewhere. These worlds. This world you created, Shulk, of all these different dimensions...they are related. They were once part of the same world before you came along and created this world."

* * *

"Are you ready, Ruby?" Morgan asked. They were standing on top of the Skywind, where there were clear skies and not a cloud in sight.

"Yeah I am!" Ruby said. "I can't shake the feeling I have about us. I feel like we're something more. You're a fire dragon. I'm the Maiden of Summer, which is definitely fire. Us together are something."

"All right then." Morgan said. She pulled out her dragon stone and transformed into a bright red dragon with smoke coming out of her mouth. Morgan roared, but Ruby understood her perfectly. _Climb on._ Once Ruby was ready, her breath shook. "Ok... Go!"

Morgan ran off the Skywind, Ruby holding onto her back for dear life. They flew right past the cockpit, where Cid was casually sitting down, drinking his coffee. As soon as Cid saw them, he spat out his coffee all over his clothes, and jumped up in pain. He yelled something they couldn't hear, probably something not so nice. Ruby laughed, and Morgan laughed as much as a dragon could. Morgan steered up, flapping her wings to gain height, while also trying her best not to let Ruby fall.

"Yeah!" Ruby yelled. "This is amazing!" Morgan nodded in approval. _I know!_ Morgan's voice echoed in Ruby's mind.

"Woah!" Ruby yelled. "Morgan! I heard your voice! In my mind!"

 _Really?!_ Morgan thought. _Are you hearing me now?_

"Yeah!" Ruby yelled, answering Morgan's question. "That's so cool!"

 _You were right. We have more power than we thought. Let's go for a little spin, shall we?_

Morgan slowly dived down, increasing her descent as she went. Slowly, Ruby let go of Morgan's back, feeling free. She tapped into the Summer Maiden's power, her eyes glowing, and drew a pattern in the sky as they went down. Then, Morgan flew back up straight, piercing through Ruby's design of fire: the crest on her hood of a rose. Fire spread out all around, like fireworks in the sky.

When the fire faded, Ruby noticed something odd. It was a clear sky, but there was a large cloud, almost standing still, about a mile away. What was weird was that inside the large, menacing cloud, Ruby could almost see a chunk of land. "Morgan, do you see that?"

 _Yeah, I do. That's strange. Come on. Let's head back._ Morgan turned around, flying back to the awaiting Skywind.

* * *

"You saw what?" Cloud said. Ruby and Morgan had just got back from their little trip, and were reporting their findings to everyone on the Skywind in the cockpit of the ship.

"A floating island!" Ruby yelled. "In that huge cloud!"

"And how exactly did you see this island?" Corrin asked. "That huge cloud is miles away from us. There is no way to see through that from here."

"Uh..." Ruby stammered. "Well..."

"It doesn't matter." Shulk said, walking in to the room with Robin behind him. "If there's land in the sky, it's worth investigating. Cid, make a path to that cloud."

"Sure thing." Cid said, giving a cruel look to Morgan and Ruby. He took the wheel and steered the Skywind towards the large, ominous cloud.

"What could be there, I wonder?" Pyrrha said.

"I don't know." Jaune said. He had his new sword and shield on his back, called the Master Sword and Hylian Shield by Ike. As the Hylian Shield didn't fold up as a sheath for the Master Sword, he had to make a makeshift one and put it on his back.

"Ooh!" Nora yelled. "What if it's a secret colony of unicorns?! That would explain why there aren't any around!"

"I highly doubt that's the case." Ren said.

"But you don't know?"

"Well, I'm not for certain, but-"

"Then shh!"

Kamui laughed. "So is this what childhood should've been like?"

"You mean you didn't argue with friends when you were a kid?" Blake asked.

"My sister and I really didn't have friends." Corrin said. "We were isolated in a secure part of Nohr, by the king, our father's order."

"We had our siblings, Xander, our eldest brother, and the one who trained us to fight." Kamui said. "Our eldest sister, Camilla, who acted like our mother most of the time."

"Our younger brother, Leo, the one who always thought he was better than everyone else, and Elise, our youngest sister who still thinks she's a child, even though she's eighteen."

"You're family must be quite the handful." Aerith said.

"Yes, they are at times." Kamui said. "But when they came to visit us, it was the best days of our lives. But it was very rare for them to actually come, as Nohr was at war with Hoshido at the time, and still is."

"We have our maids and butler," Corrin said. "The sister maids, Felicia and Flora, and our over protective butler, Jakob. We also had Gunter, our retainer."

"Oh, and Lilith! She came one day and stayed, tending to our horses if ever the need to leave."

"Right. But aside from those five, it was always me and Kamui."

"How terrible!" Ruby said. "So you never even knew what it was like to have fun?!"

"I'm afraid not, no."

"Hey!" Cid yelled. "We're here at this cloud."

Shulk walked up to the window, looking at the cloud. "It's so thick... Hey, Lucina!"

"Yes, Shulk?" Lucina asked.

"If at all possible, could you use your wind magic and blow the clouds away so we can see these so called floating islands?"

"Sure thing, Shulk." Lucina ran outside. A few seconds later, a green dragon flew in front of the Skywind and flapped its wings with such force, it produced hurricane like winds that blew away the thick clouds. The dragon flew away, and Lucina ran inside, panting. "It's done." She said as she gasped for air.

"Woah." Yang said. "Wh-What is this?!"

Nobody said anything in return, not even Nora. With the clouds gone, it revealed hundreds of landmasses floating in the sky, almost magically. Many of them had stone structures on them, from pillars to statues. There was one statue of an angel seemingly in combat with what looked to be an acorn with one eye and wings. Another had four strange floating machine with stone faces engraved in the center of each of them giving chase to a woman with short shorts and a top that exposed her midriff. It appeared she was shooting lightning out of her hand. The problem with this statue...

"That statue's floating!" Cait Sith exclaimed.

"That it is." Nanaki said.

"It is indeed strange." Vincent said.

"There's one island that's much larger than the rest." Cid said. "It appears to be where most of these statues are."

"All these statues..." Fiora said. "They all look like they're fighting. Like they're having an all out battle right here."

"Let's land at that temple." Shulk said. "Maybe there we can find some answers."

Cid landed the Skywind at the temple, and everyone got off. Immediately, they saw a large, humanoid rock creature with a blank face, wielding two clubs as hands, fighting three buff angels at a time. One more thing was clear. "This place is crumbling." Robin said. "Whatever happened here, it happened a while ago. The buildings and pillars are collapsing. And look." Robin pointed to an island, which crumbled to pieces, and fell to the unknown below. "This entire place is being destroyed. It shouldn't be long until this entire floating city will crumble to pieces, and fall."

They walked inside. What they found was a great and spacious hall, once more filled with statues of angels and strange assortments of creatures made of nature elements, like a towering rock pillar with a stem on top of it, and two flimsy legs to hold it up.

They kept walking. They got to a large door, where many angels were fighting many more of the same nature like enemies. "Should we open this door?" Reflet asked.

"It seems our only option." Reyn said. With a bit of work, they managed to open the door wide open.

"Ooh!" Riki was the only one to react to what lay ahead. It appeared to be a throne room, and six statues were in there. One was of a man with a sword as big as his body wedged into the floor, and the man seemed to be trying to pull it out of the ground, staring with a crazed look in his eyes to another statue that appeared to be a tall and skinny man with a long mustache stretching far past his face, and a monocle that completely covered his left eye.

Above the throne, two women appeared to be in combat. One was a younger girl that had a long ponytail and a staff that looked like it was made out of a large tree. The other woman appeared older, with a sleeveless dress, long hair that stretched all the way down to her ankles, and a staff with wing-like objects sticking out of the top. Below them were two angels, also in combat. They looked nearly identical, with a few small differences. The one underneath the older woman had white wings, and a bow in his hand. The other, below the younger woman, had black wings, and a staff in his hand.

"Are these the commanders?" Lucina asked. "I mean, the commanders of each of these armies made of stone?"

"It seems so." Melia said. "But why would anyone go through all this trouble to build these statues here, of all places? Why not on the ground, where anyone could appreciate the detail?"

"Hello, Shulk." A man's voice came resounding all around them. Everyone instinctively pulled out their weapons, looking around to see who spoke.

"Show yourself!" Shulk yelled.

"I am right here." The voice this time came from the throne, where a tall man in a cloak flowing to his knees sat, crossing his legs.

"Who are you?" Shulk asked.

The man stood up, walking down casually. "You may call me Hraevir, servant to Her."

"Her who?" Ruby asked.

"Her, and I am not talking to you, Maiden of Summer. Or, more accurately, Maiden of Fire."

"What?!"

"How do you know that?!" Shulk yelled, pointing the Monado at Hraevir. "Who is Her, and what do you want with us?!"

Hraevir sighed, then grabbed the energy blade coming from the Monado with his bare hand, and pushed it down to the ground, away from him. He pulled up his hand, not even burned a little bit. Shulk stared in shock as Hraevir turned and walked, speaking at the same time. "These aren't just statues, you know. They were people. Gods, beings, each of them living a life. A purpose." He turned to Shulk. "You killed them."

"Lies!" Reyn yelled. "Shulk wouldn't kill anyone without a cause! And besides, he wasn't here to do it!" No response. "Oi! Answer me!"

Hraevir continued walking. "When you created this world, Shulk, you wanted a world without gods, where everyone could make choices freely. This was how the world you made went about doing it. Palutena, goddess of light, and her faithful servant, Pit, in the middle of a battle with Viridi, goddess of nature, and her her newly acquired servant, Pit's counterpart, Dark Pit. They were fighting their final battle, here in Palutena's realm, called Skyworld, when a light flashed around them, merging their world with yours, and many other worlds. As your wish while you were temporary god was to have no gods, the world eliminated Skyworld by freezing it in place, petrifying it, killing all organisms on these islands by turning them to statues where they stood." Hraevir once more turned to Shulk. "By choosing this path, you killed two entire armies where they stood, all because of freedom. And what has that freedom caused? More war. More pain. Everywhere you've gone, Shulk, catastrophe has struck. Was this really the right choice?"

Shulk didn't answer. "Don't listen to him, Shulk." Fiora said. "We all make choices. We can't choose the consequences. Just look at all the people's lives you made so much better!" Shulk still didn't answer.

Hraevir walked back up to the throne, and pulled out a can of red paint, and a paintbrush. He stuck the paintbrush in the can, and started painting on the seat of the throne. "Fortunately, She is very generous. She has given you a choice." He finished painting, and walked away. On the throne, the kanji for revive, 穌, sat. "Place your hand on the symbol I have just drawn, Shulk, and you can revive all of these poor souls as regular mortals to this new world you have created."

"And if I don't?" Shulk asked.

"Then they die forever, and Skyworld will crumble to pieces and fall from the sky as soon as you leave." Hraevir turned to the open door leading out. "That is all I can say. If you ask me anything more, I cannot answer. Farewell, Shulk. I hope you make the right decision." With that, Hraevir vanished without a sound.

Shulk said nothing. Instead, he walked toward the throne, where the symbol sat waiting. "Shulk, wait!" Robin yelled. "It has to be a trick!"

"No, it isn't!" Shulk yelled back, eyes filled with rage. "I killed these people! I committed mass genocide!"

"We all make choices with consequences we hate." Cloud said. "If you can't live with them, then next time you make a choice it will be the wrong one! Don't let this be the wrong one."

"Please, Shulk." Fiora said with pleading eyes. "Don't do it."

Shulk looked to his friends, then to his wife, Fiora. He sighed. "I'm sorry, but I have to make this right." He placed his hand on the symbol, and the room erupted with light.

* * *

"It worked." Hraevir said, bowing to Her. "Shulk's compassion is once again his greatest weakness."

"Excellent." She said.

"...What exactly is this plan of yours? You can't have meant to revive them, after what happened the last time they started fighting each other."

"Oh, no, they're back. Palutena, Viridi, Pit and Dark Pit. All of them."

"What?! But why?"

"We want to make Shulk believe he is making the right decisions. And that means giving him happiness for making the decisions that will ultimately lead him to his destiny. Shulk, the man who tore Zanza from his throne as god of the 5,628th realm. Shulk has done what no god has ever done before. He has taken all of my children realms and combined them into one. All of them! What's more, he has broken eternal law by revoking god ship. He must pay for his sins by either becoming the god he hated to become, or the destruction of the united realm he has created."

"What do we do now?"

"Now, you'll go back down. We want Shulk to trust you, as well as me. That way he'll do everything you ask him to do. I will send...a surprise. You need to help Shulk fight. Can you do that?"

Hraevir bowed again. "Of course, My Lady."

"Good. Now go!"

* * *

A bright light engulfed the room around them. "What's happening?!" Ruby yelled. "It's so bright!"

"Hold on, everybody!" Dunban yelled. "Stay together. Shulk! Get back here, now!" No response. "Shulk!"

 _Shulk._ A voice said in Shulk's mind, taking him away from all other things. _This choice is yours and yours alone. You have the option to revive two fallen empires. However, it will have unforeseen consequences. Are you sure on this?_

 _Yes._ Shulk said. _I am willing to take any consequence necessary to save these people._

 _Very well._ The voice disappeared. As soon as the light appeared, it faded. Everyone looked up to see the hall they were in radiate light all around them. What was once a very sad and depressing sight of a once great room reversed itself to become something great and magnificent. Shulk quickly backed up, looking at the statues in front of them, cracks starting to emerge. The two statues in the back of the man with the giant sword and the one with the monocle also started to crack. "The statues..." Tifa said.

"Yeah." Barret said. "They're crumblin' up."

"No doubt the other statues outside are as well." Vincent said.

"What will happen when they break, though?" Cait Sith asked.

"They won't crack." Shulk said. "They'll come back, greater than ever."

The statues cracked more, causing the ground underneath them to shake. "Shulk!" Fiora yelled. "What's going on?!"

"The revival." Robin said. "Shulk revived all of the organisms here, just as Hraevir said it would."

"Aah!" Morgan yelled, ducking just in time as the statue behind them came to life, swinging his giant sword full circle, nearly chopping Morgan's head off.

"Come back here, you coward!" The man yelled, running towards the other man, who also woke up. The skinny man's skin was purple, apparently. He was dancing around all over the place, much to the anger of the other man. Neither seemed to notice the large group standing in the center of the room.

"We need to move!" Dunban yelled. "Those two goddesses will-"

"Hah! Pitiful." The goddess named Viridi yelled, coming back from the dead. She pointed her staff at the other goddess, Palutena, and vines erupted from the ground, wrapping themselves around Palutena. Palutena merely smiled, and a symbol appeared above her head, and the vines all retracted instantly. Palutena dashed forward, almost floating, and spun her staff in midair, clashing with Viridi's staff.

Below them, the two angels jumped back away from each other, and jumped into the air. The one named Dark Pit fired a shot from his staff, while Pit dodged and fired an arrow of light. There were booming sounds coming from outside too. And yet, nobody noticed the new arrivals.

An angel flew right over Yang's head, and right into a shot from Dark Pit's staff. As soon as the two collided, the angel turned into a collection of hearts. From the door, the rock creature came barging through, still with a blank face, attacking the man with the big sword.

"We need to stop them from fighting!" Ruby yelled. She pulled out Crimson Rose. "Come on, Morgan!"

"Right!" Morgan said. "We'll be outside, if you guys want to help!" She transformed into a dragon, and Ruby jumped on top of Morgan's back. Morgan jumped into the air, flying out of the throne room.

"Come on!" Cloud yelled. "Don't just stand there!" He pulled out his dual swords, and dashed outside, with Tifa and Aerith following him.

"All right, everyone!" Shulk yelled. "Jaune, Pyrrha, Fiora, Dunban, Reyn, Sharla, Melia, Riki, and Nora and Ren, you stay here and stop the goddesses! The rest of you, go stop the chaos outside!"

"Roger!" Robin said. "All right, move out!" He transformed into a dragon, and zipped out.

Shulk ran forward, and swiped at the large rock monster. The Monado just bounced right off. Shulk put on his Jump aura, and leaped to the monster's back, where a large glowing piece was. Naturally, Shulk swiped at it, and the monster roared, turning and swinging at Shulk, who jumped up into the air, avoiding the attack.

"Hey!" Jaune yelled at Pit and Dark Pit, with Pyrrha at his side. "You two! Angel boys!"

"'Angel boys'?" Dark Pit said, his attention towards Jaune.

"Uh, who are you?" Pit asked.

"We're your worst nightmare, bud." Jaune said, hefting up his sword and shield. "Now, surrender! Both of you!"

"Uh..." Pit said.

"Hmph." Dark Pit replied. "You do know you're dealing with angels, right, kid?"

"Hey! Don't call me kid!" Jaune yelled.

"Uh, Jaune..." Pyrrha said. "Maybe it isn't wise to provoke the two flying men?"

"Wha-Pyrrha?!"

"Enough." Dark Pit said, pointing his staff at Jaune. "Stop talking, boy."

"Yeah!" Pit said. "Can't you see Pittoo and I were in the middle of a rival showdown?"

"Stop calling me that." Dark Pit said.

"Woah!" Jaune exclaimed, backing up. "All right, then. Team JNPR, go!"

"Oh yeah!" Nora yelled, jumping up into the air. "SMASH!" She swung down on Dark Pit, who flew back and away. Ren came running up to Jaune, while Pyrrha and Nora took the front lines.

"Hey, Pittoo!" Pit yelled. "Truce?"

"Fine." Dark Pit said. "But only if you call me Dark Pit."

"Fine by me!" Pit said. "Let's get them!"

"Hey!" The man with the big sword yelled to Shulk, who just took out the rock monster. "Who are you?"

"The name's Shulk." Shulk said. Fiora ran up behind him, in her battle armor. "This is Fiora."

"The name's Magnus." The man said. "Why don't you help me take this idiot down?"

"First, tell us why you're fighting." Fiora said.

"Sure thing." Magnus said. "I was really just pulled into this, but those two goddesses there are having a rivalry over whether humans should live or not. The younger looking one feels that they should be annihalated for destroying nature, and she feels very over protective of it as she's the goddess of nature. The other is the goddess of light, who protects humanity. I was pulled into this as a friend of that angel over there, and the representative of humans in this war."

"Wow." Fiora said. "That's... Really dumb."

"Tell me about it. But it doesn't look like the fighting'll stop anytime soon."

"And who's that?" Shulk asked, pointing to the purple man.

"That's Arlon, a stupid butthole that never stops dancing all over the place. Wanna help me take him down?"

"We're here to stop the fighting, not participate in it."

"Really? Well, I'd sure like to stop fighting. See if you can talk some sense into those goddesses. I'll talk to you later!" Magnus ran to fight Arlon, screaming insults the entire time.

"Come on, Shulk!" Fiora yelled. "We have to stop this now!"

"Right." Shulk said. They ran through the chaos, and right to the middle of the goddesses battle. "Hey!" Shulk yelled. Neither payed attention. Shulk pulled out the Monado and swung it in a circle, destroying all projectiles the goddesses threw at each other, causing them to look at the two in the middle.

"Humans?!" Viridi exclaimed. "How did you get up here?"

"That doesn't matter." Fiora said. "What does matter is that you two need to stop fighting, now!"

"I don't think that's possible for Viridi." Palutena said. "She refuses to accept the fact that humans are meant to be in the world."

" _I_ refuse?!" Viridi scoffed. "Ha! You just can't see that nature is the true form of this planet!"

"Do any of you know what just happened?!" Shulk yelled. "You're gods! Surely you must've felt what happened to you."

"What do you mean?" Palutena asked.

"I mean that you were dead."

"Dead?!"

"Yes." Fiora said. "All of you here in this sky plane were dead. Petrified in stone. All because Shulk here was given the power to create a world without gods. So that's what happened to you."

"But I revived you." Shulk said. "Now, you're all mortal, like us. Which means you're all human."

"What?!" Viridi exclaimed. "Impossible! I-I can't be human! You're joking!"

"Really?" Fiora asked. She dashed forward, and made a small cut on Viridi's arm with her blades.

"Ow!" Viridi yelled. She put her hand to her wound, pulling it back to reveal a small trail of red blood. "But... But...!"

"This..can't be." Palutena said. "We're not gods?"

"That's right." Shulk said. "It was the only way to save you."

"No!" Viridi yelled. "I can't be human! It doesn't make sense! It doesn't..."

"Viridi..." Palutena said.

"I know you hate humans." Shulk said. "But let me tell you something. This new world that I created... It has many lands. One is bound to not be filled with humans. Now that the entire world isn't your home, you can settle down in a place that is entirely nature."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Viridi said.

"Well, you see, in our world, we destroyed our gods." Fiora said. "Shulk was then chosen to be the new god, but he refused. Instead, he created a world with no gods. In doing so, he pulled in a whole bunch of other worlds, and combined them together into one huge planet. Now he's telling you that there are many new lands to explore. Embrace your mortality. Trust me, it's a lot more fun than being a god. Find a place you'll call home, and live there. Grow up."

"I... I..."

"You too, Palutena." Shulk said. "You are no longer god of anything. So have fun with being a mortal. Embrace failure, humility, all of it."

"..." Palutena didn't respond. "Pit." She called.

Pit was fighting team JNPR at the time, but once Palutena called him, he came flying over. Jaune and his team stopped their attack. "Yes, Lady Palutena?" Pit asked.

"Call of our army."

"What?!"

"Just do it." Palutena said.

"And Dark Pit!" Viridi yelled, standing up. "Do the same, please."

"Fine." Dark Pit said. Both Pits flew out, and soon, the sounds of battle came to an end.

"Thank you, humans." Palutena said. "Might I ask your names?"

"Shulk." Shulk said.

"Fiora." Fiora said in unison with Shulk.

"Well then, thank you for showing us how petty our arguments were."

"Yes." Viridi said. "I guess humans aren't that bad after all, if I can be one. Maybe I'll get them to stop destroying the environment?"

"Well, I'm glad I could get you guys to stop fighting." Shulk said.

Just then, three bolts of lightning came rushing into the throne room. They turned out to be Robin, the lightning girl, and the ghost on the chariot. "Phosphora?!" Viridi exclaimed.

"And the Chariot Master!" Palutena said. "What is it?!"

"It's... Something's outside." Robin said.

"Viridi..." Phosphora said. "It's the Aurum."

* * *

Eventually, everyone gathered outside the palace. Above them, thousands of spacecraft floated above them. "How are they here?" Pit asked.

"They're drawn to fighting." Palutena said. "They must have sensed our war."

"What do they want?" Aerith asked.

"Destruction." Viridi said. "That's all they've wanted."

"So they're here to destroy us?" Vincent asked.

"Yep." Dark Pit said. "Well, since we're at peace, how about our first battle here as a unity, how about with the Aurum?"

"Yes, lets." Palutena said. "Pit, I know we've already told everybody to stop fighting, but now we need to get them together again."

"Sure thing, Lady Palutena!" Pit said. He flew down towards the barracks, Dark Pit following quickly.

"Big sword." Magnus said, standing next to Cloud.

"Yep." Was Cloud's only reply.

"Respect."

"All right, here's the plan." Palutena said. "The mothership is in the center right there. There's a small opening that a small team can get through. We can send Pit, Dark Pit, and Phosphora into it, and take out the brain. Once the brain is out, the entire core will go offline, and be destroyed."

"Great." Shulk said. "We'll follow close behind in the Skywind, and make it easier on them to get in."

Pit and Dark Pit flew in right then. "Everyone's ready to go, Lady Palutena!" Pit said.

"Great." Viridi said. "The plan is for you two to fly in and destroy the brain. Just like last time, along with Phosphora."

"All right." Dark Pit said. Same as last time, then?"

"Hope you're not leaving me out, Shulk!" A voice said behind them. Shulk turned around instantly to find Hraevir leaning against a pillar.

"You!" Shulk said. "What are you doing here?"

Hraevir held up his hands. "Hold on. I came to help."

"What?"

"Yeah, I'm here to help you fight these aliens. And this is on my own, not orders from Her. You may find me a formidable ally." Hraevir pulled up his hoodie, hiding his head. "I'll meet you up there." With that, he flew into the sky, and was off in an instant. Already, explosions from some Aurum being destroyed could be seen.

"We haven't got time to lose." Robin said. "Come on!"

"All right, Forces of Nature!" Viridi yelled. "Attack!" Thousands of soldiers flew up into the air, toward the awaiting Aurum. A few seconds later, thousands of angels flew behind them, followed by Pit, Dark Pit, Phosphora, and the Skywind, with all of the heroes in it.

"All right, Cid." Shulk said. "You know the plan. Stay close to those three, and keep them out of trouble."

"Got it." Cid said. "I need everyone on weapons!"

"Everyone, down to the turrets!" Robin yelled. He rushed everyone down to the bottom, where Cid recently set up turrets for each hero. They all started firing at the hundreds of thousands of Aurum.

"How are you three doing, Pit?" Palutena asked from the palace, where she set up some defenses.

"We're all good, Lady Palutena!" Pit yelled.

"No need to call me Lady anymore, Pit. Just call me Palutena."

"Oh! Uh, all right. Woah!" Pit narrowly dodged a shot from an Aurum soldier. "There's a lot more than last time!"

"Remember, Pit, you can't die. There's no more revivals for you if you die here."

"I know that, La- Uh, Palutena. All the more reason to hurry!" With that, he flew even faster, blasting even more Aurum, with Dark Pit close behind, and Phosphora trailing behind.

"Phosphora, are you all right?" Viridi asked.

"No... I don't think I can...Ah!" Phosphora was blasted by an Aurum, and was spiraling to the ground.

"Phosphora? Phosphora!" Viridi yelled. "No!"

"We can't go get her!" Cid yelled. "We'd leave the Pit's behind!"

"Don't you worry!" Hraevir's voice said from the speakers in the Skywind. A black cloud swooped down and grabbed Phosphora from midair, and dashed toward the palace, where Hraevir dropped her, and flew back up into the fight. "She's now safe on the ground. But now we need someone to accompany the Pit's into the core."

"How the %$# did you get this line?!" Cid exclaimed.

"Don't worry about that." Hraevir said. "I'll be back. I need to take care of some Aurum." He dashed back into the battle.

"Dammit." Cid said. "I can see the hole inside the ship. It's too small for the Skywind to fit."

"Don't you worry!" Morgan said. "Ruby and I can do it!"

"What?! Hey! You kid's get in here! Now!" But the two were already gone, Morgan as a dragon flying off with Ruby on her back. Soon after they left, Robin, Lucina and Yang came running onto the deck. "Where did they go?!" Yang exclaimed.

"You just missed them." Cid said.

"Gods." Robin said. "Stay safe, Morgan. You too, Ruby."

"Hey!" Ruby yelled, the pair finally catching up with Pit and Dark Pit. "We're here to help you!"

"All right, then!" Pit said. "Welcome aboard!"

"Heads up!" Dark Pit yelled. "We're here."

"Last time, they had a whole bunch of defenses in there." Pit said. "So get ready for some fancy flying!"

"Got that, Morgan?!" Ruby yelled. Morgan nodded. With that, all four of them dashed into the hole, shooting down Aurum as they went.

"You know, last time, Pyrrhon took control of the Aurum and made it even harder for us to send the Aurum away." Pit said.

"We're near the brain!" Ruby yelled. They all flew into an open space, where a large sphere sat, connected in many places to the rest of the ship. "Wow! It's so big!"

"It seems they ditched Pyrrhon." Dark Pit said.

"Maybe Pyrrhon was able to escape the clutches of the Aurum." Pit said. He flew up and blasted it, but the arrow deflected off of it into another Aurum. "Oh no!" He yelled. "It has shields this time!"

"Well, there has to be generators, right?!" Dark Pit yelled.

"Yeah! When I fought Pyrrhon as the brain last time, there were generators on the sides!"

"I see them." Dark Pit said. He flew up to one of the six around them, and destroyed it.

"WARNING!" A voice came from around them. "INTRUDERS IN BRAIN! DEFENSE SYSTEM ACTIVATED!" Lasers started coming out of the brain, shooting at the four heroes inside.

"Hurry!" Dark Pit yelled. "Destroy the generators."

"Morgan and I will distract the brain." Ruby said. "You two, hurry and destroy those generators!"

"Got it!" Pit said. The Pit's flew down opposite ends, while Morgan blasted fire at the core, and Ruby shot down any opposing Aurum with Crimson Rose.

"We're done!" Pit yelled. "We got every generator down!"

"LAST RESORT ACTIVATED" The aurum brain said. An explosion of fire shot out all around it, sending Pit and Dark Pit down smoking. It didn't affect Morgan and Ruby, though.

"Ah!" Pit yelled.

"Oh no!" Palutena said. "I'm getting these two out of there. Morgan, Ruby, it's up to you!" With that, two beams of light encompassed Dark Pit and Pit, and they were whisked back to Skyworld.

"What do we do now?" Ruby said.

 _I have an idea._ Morgan said. _Tap into your maiden power. I'm going to fly in, and you're going to use that power to absorb the energy of the brain. Without energy, it should explode._

"How the heck am I supposed to do that?!" Ruby exclaimed.

 _It draws its power from fire! We're immune to fire! Now, on three. One, two, three!_

Morgan dive bombed into the brain, while Ruby's eyes glowed with the power of the maiden. "WARNING: BOGEYS INCOMING"

Ruby screamed, and held out her hands. Fire came flying into her from the brain, causing red warning lights to flash all over. Ruby kept screaming, until she stopped absorbing energy. "WARNING: ENERGY LEVEL AT 0 DESTRUCTION IMMINENT" With that, the entire mothership blew up, along with the entirety of the Aurum.

* * *

"Morgan!" Lucina yelled as Skywind flew away from the explosion of the Aurum.

"Ruby!" Yang yelled as well. "No!"

"I'm...so sorry." Cid said, trying his best to comfort the two girls.

Skywind landed in front of the palace, where Pit and Dark Pit were having their wounds attended to. Viridi and Palutena walked up to the crew of the Skywind. "I'm... I'm sorry I couldn't save your friends." Palutena said. "My humblest of apologies."

Nobody said anything. "Friends, look!" Riki yelled. "Big fire come come!"

A giant ball of fire came falling down from above. No, gliding.

"Morgan!" Robin yelled. The dragon that is Morgan flew down and landed gracefully in front of the gate to the palace, with Ruby on her back, hefting Crimson Rose in its sniper mode on her shoulder. Ruby jumped off, and Morgan transformed back into a human.

"Hiya." Ruby said. "We didn't die."

"Ruby!" Yang yelled, running in and bear hugging her younger sister. "I was so scared!"

"Yang!...Crushing...me..."

"Oh! Sorry..."

Morgan ran to her parents, hugging both of them. "Sorry I ran off like that."

"No, don't apologize." Lucina said.

"We're so proud of the woman you've become." Robin said.

"Well, looks like we had a happy ending after all." Viridi said. "The Aurum are destroyed, and nobody died. Hip hip, hooray."

"Great." Hraevir said, landing next to Shulk. "In that case, I need to go. She's probably wondering where I've been."

"Wait, Hraevir!" Shulk said, grabbing his shoulder. "Can we trust you? And Her?"

"That's entirely your decision." Hraevir said. He walked forward a bit, and turned around. "But you should know. If you wish to make an enemy of us, know that we are not easy foes. I will meet you again, Shulk. Farewell." He clasped his hands together, and he disappeared in a cloud of smoke."

"A real ninja." Pit said. "Who knew?"

"I assume you're going to leave now?" Dark Pit asked.

"Yep." Shulk said. "Our goal is to explore. So we better get going."

Pit stood up, grunting from the effort. "In that case, I'm coming with you, if that's all right with Palutena."

"You wish to join us?" Cloud asked.

"Yep! It'd be fun, and I get to tell people about Skyworld!"

"Great." Shulk said. "Come on aboard."

"I think it'd be great for you, Pit." Palutena said. "After all, you're no longer bound by eternal code to me. Go be your own person."

Dark Pit stood up as well. "I guess I'd better go along, too, to make sure my counterpart doesn't get in trouble."

"Great!" Ruby said. "The more the merrier! Yeah, this is going to be so cool!"

"Hmph!" Viridi said. "Well, Palutena, this is your home. I guess I'd better go back to mine." The two goddesses shook hands. "It's good to finally meet you."

"You too, Viridi." Palutena said. "The real you."

"Good bye." Viridi said. Phosphora and Arlon followed Viridi, and a beam of nature abducted them, taking them back to Viridi's realm.

Palutena turned to the heroes on the Skywind. "Well, then. I hope you'll come back to visit, Pit."

"Oh, I will!" Pit said. "Thank you, Lady Palutena. For everything!"

"I'm not your Lady anymore Pit. I'm just your friend. Farewell." Palutena gave one last wave as the crew got onto the Skywind, and took off.

* * *

"Well then." Corrin said. "Two more members. Getting kind of crowded in here, don't you think?"

"Relax." Robin said. "The ship was built from the inside to continuously expand to keep an infinite number of people in it. Ingenious work, if I do say so myself."

"I worked on it too, you know." Shulk said. "All right, Cid. Take us to the next place."

"Will do, Shulk!" Cid said.

"Woah!" Jaune exclaimed, as an explosion of blue light appeared right in front of him. The light flew into the side of the wall, and the figure inside the light collapsed onto the ground.

Shulk, Robin, Sharla and Aerith quickly ran over to the fallen figure. The figure was a girl, with short, messy brown hair, orange goggles, and a wool vest, with a malfunctioning white chest piece of some kind. She word orange leggings that had the word "Tracer" written down the left side of the leggings.

"Ow..." She said. She grabbed at her chest piece, and saw it was malfunctioning. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no!" She yelled in a thick accent similar to Homs. She looked at her arms, and saw she was slowly disappearing. She also saw the four confused people surrounding her. "You! Help me, please!"

"Who are you?" Shulk asked.

"No time to explain!" She said. She ripped off the top of the piece, exposing wiring within. "Winston said it might malfunction. Help me fix it!"

"A-All right!" Shulk said. "Sharla, Aerith, keep her here as long as possible."

"Got it, Shulk!" Sharla said. The two of them cast cure magic on her, keeping her from disappearing even more.

"Robin help me."

"OK, Shulk." Robin said.

"Winston explained this to me, but I can't remember now!" The girl said, hitting herself in the head. "Come on, think!" She snapped her fingers. "I got it! I remember! He said that if it malfunctioned, just switch those two wires right there!" Robin did so, which caused the machine to turn off. "Oh, shoot! That wasn't it!"

"Here, let me!" Shulk said, pushing Robin out of the way. He switched the wires back, and paused, thinking about this.

"Hurry, Shulk!" Robin said. "She's disappearing!"

"There!" Shulk said, putting together two wires that weren't connected anywhere else. The machine came to life, and the girl solidified again.

"Oh, thanks, love!" She said, standing up. "I owe you one!"

"Love?"

The girl looked around. "Wow. There are quite a number of you here, aren't there? Well, I suppose I'd better introduce myself to all of you. The name's Tracer. I'm a part of a rogue nation for good called Overwatch. Sorry to crash in unexpectedly."

"Why are you on our ship?" Tifa asked.

"Oh, that... Heh heh." Tracer rubbed the back of her head, as if embarrassed. "You see, my friend, Winston, detected a strange thing. He detected that many new land masses appear instantly overnight, and the world suddenly expanded tenfold. So he called in Overwatch, and sent agents all over to these new land masses. He kept me back, and worked on a way to get me to my place instantly. You see, I have a strange symptom that my molecules aren't one with time. This can make me disappear for days at a time. I can't control it without this device on my chest. So, that's why I was so worried when it was malfunctioning. Anyway, he thought he could make it into a teleporter, taking me anywhere I wanted to go. He worked on it for a few days, and eventually had me try it by going to these floating islands. We were a bit off. Thankfully, I teleported straight into this here ship of yours." She grabbed something from her ear, a small device that short circuited. "Ah, dang it. My comm is broken. Oh well." She threw it behind her, where it happened to land into a trash bin. "Well, I suppose I don't have much choice. I'll have to tag along with you lot, then!"

"Woah!" Pit said. "Pittoo-I mean, Dark Pit and I just got here! We have to share the newbie stuff with you too, now?"

"Well, I think it's a great idea." Shulk said. "You see, I was the one that caused what your friend detected. We're also heroes travelling this new world to find new people, help them out, and eventually create a united world."

"Ah, yes!" Tracer giggled. "Take that, Winston! I told you there'd be more heroes! This is great! I don't know how to get back to my home, but I'd love to join what seem to be great heroes on their epic journey! I can learn so much from all of you! Can I join? Please?"

"I already said you could." Shulk said.

"Ah, thank you, loves! Don't worry, I'm an amazing fighter!" She moved quickly behind Shulk. "You see, I can move through time instantly to another point in front of me, or-" She quickly went back, in the same pose she was before. "I can go back in time and keep everything! I also have these two pistols." She pulled out dual wield pistols.

"OK!" Robin said. "Sorry, I need you to put those away. This is a no weapons zone. Too much important equipment, you see. But, welcome to the Skywind."

"Ah, thank you!" Tracer exclaimed. "I''ll be sure to make a difference for you!"

"Well, that was unexpected." Cloud said. "Anyway, Cid, whenever you're ready."

"All right." Cid said. "Next stop, anywhere!" With that, the Skywind flew off into the distance.


	6. XenoWorlds: Warriors of Hyrule

"Wicked!" Tracer yelled, flying across time behind Jaune and kicking him in the back.

"Ow!" Jaune yelled. He swiped behind him, but missed, with Tracer recalling back and shooting at Jaune, who brought up his shield just in time.

"Wow." Nora said, watching from a window as the training exercise unfurled in front of her. "That Tracer is so cool! She can just go pew pew pew! Then, suddenly, bam! She's behind you!" Nora had a crazed look in her eye, just by talking about the newest member of the Skywind, Tracer's abilities.

"Yes. She's certainly impressive." Pyrrha said. "But look at Jaune! He's improved so much..."

"His moral must've improved ever since he got his new sword and shield out of nowhere." Ren said. "He must feel more confident in himself than ever before."

"That's probably true." Pyrhha said. "But I've noticed him leaving his room more and more at night. He must be practicing more than ever." Pyrrha smiled. "It's refreshing."

"Whee!" Tracer yelled, flying past Jaune's swipe.

"Hey!" Jaune yelled. "Stop running! It isn't cool!" He dashed forward toward Tracer, who recalled back to where she was a few seconds ago. But Jaune was expecting this. He side stepped, then rolled on his side, jumping up immediately after to where Tracer was standing, and spun in midair, catching Tracer off guard, and knocking her on the ground. Jaune landed right in front of her and pointed his blade at her throat.

Tracer laughed. "Great job, love!" Jaune put away his blade. "Everyone here told me you had potential, but I didn't believe it! Nice to see they were right."

"Uh...Thanks?" Jaune said. "But what I should thank you for is giving me training!"

"Ah, don't mention it, love! I mean, I don't know everything that's going on here. It's so weird! I barely believe it. But this makes me think. What is out there!"

"Well, I think-"

"Maybe there's a world with man eating giants! Ooh! Or one where a corrupt school runs all! Or maybe there's a whole other planet filled with robotic aliens in a never ending civil war! Or-"

"Tracer! I get it." Jaune said. "Thank you."

"Jaune!" Pyrrha said. "That was amazing!"

"Pyrrha!" Jaune said, running towards her. As the four teammates started talking, Tracer smiled and walked out of the training room, towards her room. However, she made a wrong turn and ended up somehow in the prison segment.

"What's this?" A man in a nice suit, with orange hair covering his right eye. "We got a fresh face, everybody! Man, they've been busy!"

A girl sitting on the ground looked up at Tracer with a sinister smile, and different colored eyes and hair. She said nothing the entire time.

"Ah, so you're some of the villains of this world?" Tracer asked. "Man, I wish there wouldn't have been any more evil people in this world. Well, nice to meet you all! Goodbye!" Tracer blinked off, away from the prisons.

"Hey!" Roman yelled. "Don't just ignore us! Get back here! Hey!"

"Phew..." Tracer said. "That was a close one. I hate being near criminals."

"Tracer." Cloud said, somehow sneaking up behind her.

"Aagh!" Tracer yelled, jumping away from Cloud and pulling out her pistols. Her eyes widened, and she quickly put away the pistols. "Cloud!" She exclaimed. "Sorry! I didn't mean to turn on you like that."

"Hey, calm yourself." Cloud said. "Did I scare you? Sorry if I did. I didn't mean to. I just came here to say that we're all meeting in the cockpit of the ship in a bit. We see a landmass up ahead."

"Another one?!" Tracer exclaimed. "It's only been a few days!"

"The ship travels fast." Cloud said. "This world is filled with much ocean in between each plane. But each plane is large in its own right. Based on what we've seen, we believe only half the world is water, unlike in most planes before the Combining. Oh! sorry... Turns out I do pay attention when Robin and Shulk geek out."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of!" Tracer said. "But if you don't want anyone to know, don't worry. I won't tell. Now, come on, love. Let's get going." With that, she blinked away, causing Cloud to go running after.

* * *

"Wow!" Yang exclaimed, looking out across the land they stumbled upon. Most of it was grassland, with a volcano to the north east, and a wasteland past that. To the west lay a vast desert, and to the north, a forest with a large tree in the center.

In the center of all the land, however, stood a vast castle. The castle had blue spires sticking out of the top, with symbols all around with what looked to be a bird with three triangles connected by corners for a head.

"It's...beautiful..." Fiora said.

"That castle..." Robin said. "This entire place looks like a land from one of our legends."

"Well, we know that most legends you know of happen to be true." Shulk said. "What's the legend about?"

"Well, it's about the constant reincarnation of a hero and a princess, continuously fighting the King of Evil to protect the land of Hyrule." Lucina said. "It's a constant war between something called the Triforce."

"The Triforce has three parts." Morgan said. "Power, Wisdom, and Courage. The King of Evil took the Triforce of Power by force, causing the other two pieces to seek out the two most worthy to hold them. The princess received the Triforce of Wisdom, the Hero, the Triforce of Courage. It's the constant battle of power for all of them."

"Interesting." Shulk said. "Well, no use waiting up here. Best to go down and say hello. Cid?"

The Skywind flew down, straight towards the castle. They landed just outside, in what seemed to be a battlefield. As soon as they stepped out, they were surrounded by what looked to be soldiers from the kingdom that was called Hyrule.

The soldiers parted, and three figures came walking out. One was a girl with white hair and an eye pattern across her left eye, with a giant sword on her back. The second figure was a man in a green tunic, with a sword and shield on his back. The third was the most regal of all, with a combat dress adorning her, and blonde hair that draped past her upper back.

"Who are you?" The girl with the giant sword on her back said. "Speak now, or else I may have to arrest you for treason against the kingdom of Hyrule."

"Impa, relax." The girl in the combat dress said. "I am sorry. My name is Princess Zelda. I rule the land of Hyrule. This is Link, the hero who saved this land from the King of Evil." Link nodded to the group. "I'm afraid he doesn't speak much, though..."

"That's OK!" A fairy said that was flying next to Link. "I speak for him! I'm Proxi! Nice to meet you!"

"Well, greetings." Shulk said. "We're sorry to intrude here. You see, you might not believe me, but a few years ago, I created a new world, where an infinite number of worlds from different dimensions were fused together. I, as well as some of my friends, set out to discover all these lands, and eventually create a united world. What you see now is a group of heroes from all the planes we've discovered so far."

"Hmph." Impa said. "I don't believe it."

"They did just fly in inside a floating fortress..." Proxi said. "There is nowhere in Hyrule that has something like that!" Link nodded in approval.

"Well, I, for one, welcome you to Hyrule, heroes." Zelda said. "Please, make yourself at home in our castle."

"Oh, really, we shouldn't-" Shulk started.

"Yes, love!" Tracer said. "We would enjoy that, thank you!" She turned and winked to a startled Shulk.

"Great!" Proxi said. "Come on, LInk! Let's show them around!" Link nodded, and motioned for them to follow him.

As the group walked forward, Jaune and Pyrrha stayed towards the back. "Jaune..." Pyrrha said. "The symbol on your shield... It matches the crest all over the castle."

"I know." Jaune said.

"Hey!" Proxi said, flying back towards Jaune and Pyrrha, who by now fell so far behind. Link came dashing over as well. "What are you two doing all the way back there?"

Link gasped. He pointed to Jaune's back, which held his sword and shield. "What?!" Proxi exclaimed. "That can't be! That's the Master Sword! How did you get it?!"

"I... It's complicated." Jaune said.

"Well, whatever happened, we need you two to talk with Zelda right away!" Proxi said. "Come on!" She flew away, with Link tailing her, and Jaune and Pyrrha decided it was best to follow.

"Princess Zelda!" Proxi said, as Zelda was showing the crew of the Skywind around the castle. "You need to see these two straight away!"

"Oh! All right..." Zelda said. "Please, wait in the courtyard, everybody."

"Jaune?" Nora asked. "Pyrrha? What's going on?!"

"It's fine, Nora." Pyrrha said. "We'll be back in no time." Zelda motioned for the two of them to follow her and Link into two large doors, which shut after them.

"All right, then." Robin said. "Guess we ought to go to the courtyard."

"Right." Shulk said. "Come on, everybody!"

The courtyard was a very spacious place, with many beautiful patches of flowers, and beautifully crafted flowers all around. "Wow..." Ruby said. "Look at all the plants! It's so beautiful..."

"Yeah!" Pit said. "I've never seen a garden this well taken care of! At least, in the human world."

"Oh!" A girl's voice came from the entrance to the garden. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to intrude." The girl had blonde hair, with two pigtails draping over her shoulders. She had a compass around her neck, a cloak across her back which has a hoodie connected to, and two crossbows strapped to her boots. "I"m Linkle. I work for Zelda. I'm a reincarnation of the hero, just like Link!"

"Really?" Lucina asked. "The hero is usually male..."

"Well, I guess I'm the first to break that pattern, then." Linkle said, smiling. "Who are you guys?"

"We're a bunch of travelling heroes." Cloud said. "We go around the world, helping as much as we can, discovering new lands, and recruiting more heroes to join us."

"Wow!" Linkle said. "That's so cool! Man, I'm jealous! I want to join now."

"Maybe you can." Corrin said.

"We're planning on asking if Link and Zelda would be willing to join." Shulk said. "We'd be willing to have you, as well."

"Really?" Linkle asked. "Oh, thank you! It will be so much fun!"

"It's not that big a deal..." Shulk said. Just then, a boom sounded in the distance.

"What was that?!" Yuffie exclaimed. They quickly ran outside.

"Oh, no..." Linkle said. "They're back."

"Who back?" Riki asked.

"Ganondorf and his army."

* * *

Hraevir teleported to the Valley of Seers, where the Master Sword in the land of Hyrule is held. Underneath it, the last piece of the King of Evil that wasn't released. This was the next destination Shulk had discovered, and this was what She wanted him to do.

"Supposedly, only the true Hero can pull out the Master Sword, and wield it in battle." Hraevir talked to himself. "I'm known to break these prophecies of 'The True Wielder.'" He gripped the handle, and slowly, pulled out the Master Sword from its place with ease. He held it into the air, admiring its craftmanship. "The goddesses sure knew how to make such a great blade."

A dark cloud emitted from the altar, and Hraevir knelt down next to it. "Go, Ganondorf. Be complete, and serve Her." The cloud flew away, seeking out the rest of itself. Hraevir knew that Ganondorf couldn't hear him, but it gave him pleasure knowing he could control the fate of even the King of Evil. he teleported to Hyrule Castle, to return the sword to its rightful owner.

* * *

"What's this about?" Jaune asked.

"It's about the sword on your back." Zelda said. "Only the hero reincarnated can take it, and use it. Link here is supposedly the only one who can use it in this time. But, you have the Master Sword."

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about." Jaune said. "I just used to have a hand-me-down set. Suddenly, one day, it transformed! Into this."

"Hmm..." Zelda said. "I think I know what's going on."

"What?" Pyrrha asked. "What is it?"

"You see, in the history of Hyrule, there have been many alternate realities, based on what happens in a certain time." Zelda said. "We know of three completely different timelines based on what happens during the era of the Hero of Time."

"Oh, I get it!" Proxi said. "They could be part of a fourth timeline!"

"Not necessarily." Zelda said. "I think it could be like the land of Lorule, or Termina."

"An alternate dimension?" Proxi asked.

"Yes. Your friend, Shulk, he said that this new world he created took many different dimensions, and made them into one?"

"Yes." Pyrrha said.

"Well then, I believe you two are reincarnations of us, but from an alternate Hyrule."

"What?!" Jaune exclaimed. "You're saying Remnant is just another Hyrule?"

"No, that's not what the princess is saying." Proxi said. "She's saying they're related. The only thing in common is that you have your own Triforce, and you two are essentially the counterparts of Link and Zelda in Remnant. That makes sense! You'll have your own hero, and it explains why you have the Master Sword, the most sacred weapon of all!"

"There is a way to find out." Zelda said. "Please, take off your glove on you dominant hand."

Both Pyrrha and Jaune did so for their right hand. "Link?" Zelda asked. Link nodded, and pulled of his left glove, and Zelda her right, showing the Triforce on the top of their hands, each with a different part of the Triforce darker than the rest. Link held out his hand towards Jaune's bare one, Zelda to Pyrrha's.

On Jaune and Pyrrha's hands, a symbol started to take shape. The Triforce. "What?!" Pyrrha exclaimed.

"I knew it." Zelda said. "You are the reincarnations of an alternate version of us, Link and Zelda. Each of you hold a piece of the Triforce. Jaune, you hold the Triforce of Courage. Pyrrha, you hold the Triforce of Power."

"But don't you hold the Triforce of Wisdom?" Jaune asked.

"Perhaps someone else took the Triforce of Wisdom by force, similar to how Ganondorf took the Triforce of Power!" Proxi said.

"But, who would it be?" Pyrrha asked Jaune.

"I don't know." Jaune said. "But we can't think about it now."

Just then, a portal appeared in the room, taking everyone by surprise. From it, came to limping girls. "Lana!" Zelda exclaimed. "Cia!" She and Link quickly ran over to help the two sit down.

"What happened?!" Proxi asked.

Lana coughed. "Ganondorf." Was all she said.

"What?!"

"Ganondorf returned, somehow." Cia said. "Someone freed him from underneath the Master Sword. He took the Triforce of Power from us." Cia started coughing, and wouldn't stop.

"He's grown...stronger." Lana said. "We couldn't...defeat him."

"Easy, easy." Zelda said. "You two, rest for a bit. Where's Ganondorf now?"

"He's coming for the Triforce." Cia said. "Like he always is."

Zelda nodded her understanding. She stepped outside. "Impa!" She said. "Get the troops ready for a battle!" Zelda turned to Jaune and Pyrrha. "Can your friends fight?"

"Of course they can!" Jaune said.

Zelda turned once more. "And also tell our guests to prepare to fight!"

"Seems your in a bit of trouble." A voice said. Zelda and Link turned quickly to the source of a voice, a man in a black cloak and a smug smile.

"Hraevir." Jaune growled.

"What do you want?" Pyrrha asked.

"Hey, now." Hraevir said. "Just returning something to its rightful owner." He pulled the Master Sword out of his cloak, and handed it to a startled Link.

"How did you get that?!" Cia said angrily.

"I got it for the Hero." Hraevir said, holding his hands up. "Nothing wrong with that! And relax, I didn't release Ganondorf. I saw the Master Sword on the ground, so I decided to return it, you don't mind, do you?" Hraevir smiled, and disappeared instantly.

"Come on!" Proxi said. "Link, get your shield! We need to defeat Ganondorf!... Again."

Zelda sighed, and motioned for Jaune and Pyrrha to follow them. "Lana, Cia." Zelda said. "You two are in no condition to fight. Stay here, and join when you're healed."

"Got it." Lana said. With that, Link, Zelda, Jaune, Pyrrha, and Proxi left to join in the defense of Hyrule Castle.

* * *

"All right, listen up!" Impa said. "This fight is happening again! I know, it's barely been a year, but Ganondorf has returned." Some mumbling across the army. "But! Now we have some external help. The people from the floating fortress will be helping us in this battle! They will attack from above, and go take out the large monsters that are bound to appear. Now, get your weapons ready!"

"So, the evil of this world is awakened yet again?" Cloud said. "Seems to me, based on the stories, the people here are just lazy."

"Who knows?" Reyn said. "Maybe he's nearly invincible."

"You don't need to worry about Ganondorf." Zelda said, walking out of the castle, with Link, Jaune and Pyrrha behind her. "Us four will fight him." Link nodded to confirm.

"Don't worry." Jaune said. "We can do this."

"You guys, go around and help out in any way you can." Pyrrha said. "Save as many soldiers as you can."

"Got it." Tifa said. "But, by the looks of it, they have us greatly outnumbered."

"Do we need reinforcements?" Lana said, walking out, still with a limp, but better. Cia followed close behind.

"Do you need healing?" Aerith asked. She cast some Cure magic on them, just to be safe.

"That feels great, thank you." Cia said.

"What were you saying about reinforcements?" Shulk asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Lana said. "Cia?" Cia nodded. They raised their hands, and bashed them on the ground. Teleporters appeared behind them, about 12. From them, came 12 heroes. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to our reinforcements. They are: Darunia, Ruto, Midna, Agitha, Fi, Tingle, Skull Kid, King Daphnes, Tetra, Medli, Young Link and Toon Link."

Two more Links?" Linkle said. "We now have four!"

"Five, actually." Jaune said. "If you count alternate realities."

"What?!" Ruby exclaimed.

"That's not important." Pyrrha said. "Ganondorf's army is fast approaching. We need to move."

* * *

"That's a big army!" Cait Sith said.

"I calculate there is a 43% chance of us winning this battle." Fi said.

"Can we still win?" King Daphnes said.

"Of course!" Midna said, floating next to him. "We've done it before with an even lower success rate, didn't we?"

"Yes, we have!" Darunia yelled. "I'm ready for another challenge!"

"Just be sure to calm your anger." Ruto said.

Skull Kid laughed. "This will be fun!"

"I'm not so sure I can do this..." Medli said.

"Oh, sure you can!" Tetra said, slapping her on the back. "You're a good fighter, if you need to be.

"Ooh!" Agitha said. "What a pretty bug!"

"Not everybody's taking this seriously." Vincent said. Young Link and Toon Link were admiring each other, not sure if they're the same person, and Tingle was just dancing around. Nobody really knew how to take Tingle.

"How powerful's Ganondorf?" Jaune asked.

"He's very powerful, with the Triforce of Power." Zelda said. "But, if we use the four pieces of the Triforce we have with us, we should be able to overpower him. The plan is for the army to take out the smaller enemies, the warriors to take out the larger enemies, all to let us four go straight to Ganondorf. We want this to end as fast as possible."

"They're here!" Impa yelled. A blast of fire came from an Argorok in the sky, causing many soldiers to run from the fire.

"Let's move!" Zelda yelled.

"It's time!" Darunia yelled. He rolled down the hill, being the first one down to the fight. Everyone else followed by behind, ready to fight any enemies in their way.

"Wow..." Shulk said. "They're all amazing fighters."

"Yeah they are!" Lana said, hitting an enemy away from Shulk. "That's why they're here! Now, focus on the plan!"

"Got it." Shulk said.

"All of these people are weird." Dark Pit said. He flew into the air, and shot a Gibdo with a blast from his staff. "They have fighting styles I've never seen."

"That's what makes them special, right?" Pit said, flying next to him. "If it's effective, why are you worrying about how they fight?"

"That's a good point." Ruby said, riding on Morgan's back, who flew near the two angels. "I love watching how they fight! It makes me think. They're using their abilities to their advantage. That's what a good fighter does, right?"

"I suppose so." Dark Pit said. "Forget I said anything."

Pit shrugged. "Suit yourself. Let's go take out this dragon!"

"All right." Dark Pit said. Both angels flew over to Argorok, attacking it from above, while Midna attacks it from the ground.

"Come on, Jaune!" Proxi yelled. "We need to hurry! To Ganondorf!"

"Something isn't right." Pyrrha said, next to Zelda.

"What do you mean?" Zelda said.

"The monsters aren't posing much of a threat to anyone." Pyrrha said. "If Ganondorf was really after the Triforce, would he have his army try to kill anyone that gets in his way?"

"Princess Zelda!" A booming voice came from the far end of Hyrule Field. "It has been a while!"

"Ganondorf." Zelda said.

Link and Jaune caught up to Zelda and Pyrrha just as a man in black armor came floating down, with long red hair, nearly black skin, and a giant sword in each of his hands.

"You can't win, Ganondorf!" Proxi said. "You lost with the entire Triforce, and you'll lose again!"

Ganondorf merely laughed, and charged at the four warriors challenging him. "I see we have more Triforce users." Ganondorf said. "Let's see what you can do."

Pyrrha held up her shield to block a kick from Ganondorf. Jaune jumped over her, and swiped down on Ganondorf, who sidestepped, and body slammed Jaune out of the way. Link came running up from behind, but Ganondorf turned quickly and swiped at Link, who had no choice but to bring up his shield to stop the attack. Zelda shot an arrow of light at Ganondorf, but he jumped high into the air, and created of ball of energy in his hands, and slammed down on the ground, causing an explosion that pushed the four back even further.

Ganondorf laughed. "Is this all you can do? I'm not even trying!"

Shulk looked out to the battle between, Jaune, Pyrrha, Link, Zelda and Ganondorf. They're _losing._ Shulk thought. _They need strength. Give them strength!_

Link grimaced. "We need a new strategy!" Jaune said. Suddenly, the Master Swords started glowing together.

Ganondorf looked in shock. "What's this?"

Pyrrha and Zelda's hands started glowing, and two sacred bows appeared in their hands. "What?" Pyrrha asked.

"This is not possible." Ganondorf said. "No!" He dashed towards Zelda.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune yelled. Pyrrha quickly shot an arrow at Ganondorf's foot, stopping him. Zelda jumped back, and shot another arrow at Ganondorf's other foot. For some reason, he couldn't pull out the arrows.

"Link! Jaune!" Proxi yelled. "Now!"

Link and Jaune yelled at the same time. They swung their sword down on Ganondorf's chest so hard, it knocked him free of the sacred arrows Pyrrha and Zelda shot. He fell to the ground, defeated.

All over, Ganondorf's army was quickly losing morale. Most of the commanders were killed at the hands of the warriors, and all of their big monsters were killed by the most elite. One by one, they started running. "Great job, everyone!" Impa said. "I want the entire army to retreat to the castle. The warriors and I will stay out and pick apart any enemies still here."

"That was too easy." Cia said. "Something isn't right."

"Impossible." Ganondorf said. "There cannot be two Sacred Bows, or two Master Swords!"

Jaune pointed his sword at Ganondorf's neck. "Surrender." He said.

Ganondorf smiled. Then, he started laughing. "You really think I was trying to kill you?"

Jaune's eyes widened. "What do you mean?! You were trying to get the Triforce!"

"I'll get it in due time. That wasn't the point of this mission, however. It was just to keep you distracted."

An explosion sounded behind them. Zelda turned and gasped. "The castle!"

As soon as the last soldier retreated to the castle, explosions sounded all over the castle, causing it to collapse around the army, crushing all of the soldiers under the rubble of the castle.

"No!" Impa yelled. "The castle... The soldiers!" She started running towards the castle, followed by all the other warriors.

"A stealth team infiltrated the castle." Ganondorf said. "My master wanted the army of Hyrule to be in disarray. I have completed that mission. This marks the beginning of a new age. An age where only evil reigns. I couldn't do it on my own. But with this new help, I can. Farewell."

Lightning struck all around Ganondorf, causing Jaune to jump back. When the lightning ceased, Ganondorf was gone.

* * *

"No..." Linkle said. "The entire army... They're all..."

"This isn't good." Tracer said. "If the army is gone, who will protect Hyrule?"

"How did this happen?" Cloud asked.

"This was Ganondorf's plan." Zelda said, walking towards the rubble of Hyrule Castle, with Link, Jaune and Pyrrha behind her. "He wanted to destroy the army of Hyrule, and he did so."

"He knows about the other planes." Jaune said. "There's an evil out there that is trying to destroy all resistance to them."

"A new evil..." Dunban said.

"Ganondorf is working with them." Pyrrha said. "He's still out there."

"Then we need to find him, and kill him." Kamui said.

"We don't have much time." Shulk said. "I'm sorry, but we need to leave, immediately."

"I'm going with you." Zelda said.

"Princess..." Impa started.

"Don't try to stop me, Impa. Link and I are linked with Ganondorf. It's our duty to kill him. I need you here to defend what's left of Hyrule."

"We'll be staying too." Darunia said. "We won't leave our friends to grieve alone."

"This will be my final decree until I return." Zelda said. "As both commander and friend to all of you. I need all you warriors to stay here and defend Hyrule from more attacks such as this. Link and I will go with this group of adventurers, and find Ganondorf. Once he's dead, we will no longer have the worry of his army on our minds."

"I'm coming, too!" Linkle said. "They already promised me I can come!"

"That's true." Shulk said. "But, are you sure, Princess? Don't your people need you?"

"They'll all be fine." Lana said. "We'll explain everything to them. They all trust Princess Zelda as much as they trust their friends and families. They'll understand."

"Then it's settled." Zelda said. "We will be travelling with you." Both Link and Linkle nodded.

"All right." Shulk said. "Welcome aboard." He shook all three of their hands. "I am sorry to say, but we must leave immediately. I wish we could stay and help, but if this evil is out there, then they aren't stopping. That means we can't either."

"We understand." Impa said. "Stay safe, Princess. Link!" Link turned around to Impa. "Protect her. For me." Link nodded, and waved goodbye to all his friends. With all 36 of them on board, the Skywind took off, with a feeling of worry on all of their chests.

 _A new evil..._ Shulk thought. _I thought we would be done with all of this, but we aren't. We can never be done._

* * *

"Well done, Ganondorf." Hraevir said. "She will be proud."

"Don't talk to me, servant." Ganondorf said, walking towards his room in Her palace. "It was simple, really. But, we're rather small, aren't we?"

Hraevir smiled. "Not for long. We have officially started the recruitment stage. Whatever resistance comes, we will destroy."

* * *

"You wanted to see us, Robin?" Corrin asked. Robin asked both Corrin and Kamui to join him in his office.

"What is it?" Kamui asked.

Robin smiled. "I've been looking into the history of the dragons, and these so called dragon riders. Some new information from Hyrule has given me hope for something you might like."

"All right, what is it?" Corrin asked.

"We have a way to get you home."

 **A/N: Hiya! Just want to let you know the plan for the future. The next chapter will be about Fire Emblem Fates. After that, something I didn't hint to until now, Attack on Titan. Then, third, Overwatch. After those three, I don't have many ideas. Fire Emblem Fates and Attack on Titan might potentially both be two parts, as I have a lot of ideas for them, and want to use as many as I can. I want to eventually write about Kill la Kill, Transformers, and Pokemon, but I want to finish Kill la Kill first, I have a good place for Transformers to fit in this series, and I want to wait until Pokemon Sun and Moon come out until I do a Pokemon chapter. So, give me some ideas for chapters! I'd love to see what you come up with.**


	7. XenoWorlds: Branches of Fate Part 1

"Are you sure this will work?" Shulk asked. "It looks to be a big risk."

"I'm positive." Robin said. "Nohr and Hoshido aren't part of this world. Rather, part of an alternate version of this world. This much we can assume, ever since Hyrule."

"Robin informed me on the dragon riders." Zelda said. "We also have some legends on this subject."

"I read the legends a lot as a kid." Linkle said. "They said that mysterious warriors on dragons would come from portals created by the dragons. Supposedly, they would shoot beams of power from their mouths, causing a rift in space. They would fly through, and disappear."

"Supposedly, we're the dragon riders reborn." Robin said. "We may not be as powerful as they're said to be in the legends, but we hold that power. If all six of us here that can turn into dragons combine our power, we could create a portal big enough to fit the Skywind through."

"But do we know that it will drop us in Nohr?" Kamui asked.

"That's where you and Corrin will come in." Robin said. "While us six are creating the portal, you two must put as much thought as possible into going to Nohr. I believe that the destination was decided based on where the thought was at the time."

"In other words, this plan is entirely based on theory?" Cloud asked.

"Sounds like fun!" Tracer said. "Let's do it!"

"Yes, please." Corrin said. "We need to see our family again."

"Then there's no time to waste." Robin said. "We need team RWBY on the deck to empower us, like the riders in the legends."

"Got it." Blake said. "We'll head there straight away."

"Come on!" Kamui said. "We have to get moving!" She and Corrin ran out, followed by Reflet, Lucina, and Morgan.

Shulk stopped Robin as he started running out. "Good luck." Shulk said to Robin. Robin nodded, and dashed out.

"All right, Cid." Cloud said. "As soon as the portal opens, you need to head through as fast as possible. We can't take any chances."

"Got it, all right." Cid said.

"Are we ready?" Corrin asked the six dragons on the deck.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Morgan said with a deep breath.

"Let's do it." Reflet replied.

"We'll be there for you." Ruby said.

"Good." Kamui said. "Let's go!" She jumped off the edge first, transforming into a dragon and flew in front of the Skywind. The rest followed suit.

Robin was the first to fire. A bolt of lightning flew from his mouth, hitting part of the sky. Lucina was next, a continuous blast of wind firing in the same spot. Then Morgan, then Reflet, then Corrin and Kamui. They all hit the same spot. But nothing happened.

"It doesn't appear to be working." Barret said.

Suddenly, a burst of light appeared in the center. It grew brighter and brighter. Soon, it grew to a size so that it could hold the Skywind. "That's it!" Shulk said. "That's the portal!"

"What are you waiting for?!" Proxi exclaimed. "Fly through!"

"You don't have to tell me, bug!" Cid said. "Hold on!" He flew the Skywind inside the portal, with the six dragons clinging onto the hull of the ship. There was a bright light, and everything went dark.

* * *

Shulk groaned. He sat up, in pain. "Is anyone here?" He looked around, and saw that only half of the crew was with him: Reyn, Sharla, Dunban, Melia, Fiora, Riki, Robin, Lucina, Blake, Weiss, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, Tracer, Kamui and Dark Pit. Each of them were slowly recovering with him. "Is everyone all right?"

"Ow!" Reyn grimaced. "Yeah... Where are we?"

Kamui looked around. They appeared to be in front of a giant castle, with a city completely surrounding it. The castle appeared menacing, and the entire place was partially underground. She gasped. "This is..."

"K-Kamui!" A young voice said from down the path they landed on. A girl with blond pigtails, about eighteen, came dashing towards Kamui, and bear tackled her to the ground. Three more figures came out of the castle. The tallest of them was a man wearing black armor, and a large sword strapped to his side, which seemed to emanate a powerful aura. The second was a girl with long purple hair, with some revealing armor, and an almost sinister, yet caring look. The third was another man with a large collar that went up past his ears, and a mysterious book in his hand.

"Elise?!"Kamui exclaimed. "It's you! And Xander! Camilla! Leo!"

"Oh, my dear sister!" The girl named Camilla exclaimed, rushing over and gave a hug that nearly suffocated Kamui. "I've missed you, so, so much! Tell me, were these the meanies who kidnapped you? I'll take care of them!" She pulled out an axe, causing Shulk to instinctively pull out his Monado in defense.

"No, Camilla!" Kamui said, getting in between her sister and her friend. "They're friends of mine and Corrins! They've protected us, and help us grow stronger!"

"Speaking of your brother, where is he?" Xander asked. "Where did you go?"

"Corrin..." Kamui looked around. Her brother was nowhere to be found. "I-I don't know."

"You may not believe us," Robin said. "But we come from another dimension. Corrin and Kamui were pulled through when we needed their help in combat."

"Hmph." Leo said. "That's hard to believe."

"Please, Leo." Kamui said. "I assure you, they're my friends. I wouldn't have gotten this far without them. Corrin is alive. He's here as well. He just ended up somewhere else, that's all!"

"I believe you, Kamui!" Elise said. "It's nice to meet you all!"

"Yes." Xander said. "We were actually just about to go out on another expedition to find you and Corrin. Glad to see at least you came to our doorstep. I suppose we should tell Father."

"You mean King Garon?" Shulk asked.

"Yes." Leo said. "Strange how you know who are king is, even though you claim to not be from this world, no?"

"Leo!" Kamui scolded. "Don't pay attention to him. He has some trust issues."

"I do not!" Leo said.

"Oh, by the way..." Kamui said. "You're collar's inside out."

"W-What?!" Leo exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me before! Ugh!" Leo quickly rushed inside to supposedly fix his collar.

"Come on!" Elise said. "Father will be so happy to see you!" She practically dragged Kamui inside, causing everyone else to follow behind the two sisters.

* * *

"So, you have returned, Kamui." Garon said, atop his throne. Iago and his new servant, Hans, stood on either side of him.

Kamui knelt before her father. "Yes, Father. I have returned, and have grown stronger in the process."

"I see. Who are these behind you?"

"These are my companions, who helped me grow to the strength I am now."

"They did not kidnap you or your brother?"

"No! They saved us. I don't know where Corrin is now, but he's alive. I know it. My twin brother is somewhere in this land."

"Your Majesty." Iago said. "I wouldn't believe her story. How do we not know that she was brain washed by Hoshidans?"

"I would keep your mouth shut, if I were you." Shulk said, walking up to Iago with the Monado in hand. He had a whole new vibe around him. "If you still want your mouth, that is."

"Ulp!" Iago said, backing away slowly from Shulk's foreign weapon. "Your Highness!" He shouted nervously.

Garon laughed. "I like this man! I hope you'll prove yourself to be an ally of Nohr." Shulk said nothing. He turned and stood back in line with his comrades.

"Now then, Kamui." Garon said. "I'm not convinced that you have grown in the time that you were missing. I want you to prove it. Face Xander in battle!"

"What?!" Xander exclaimed. "Father, with all due respect, shouldn't she face someone who isn't thought to be the strongest fighter in Nohr?"

"No, that should be fine." Kamui said. "I will face you in battle, Xander."

Xander looked like he would protest, but instead grunted. "Very well. Steel yourself!" He pulled out his blade, and waited for Kamui to do the same.

Kamui started to glow, and transformed into a dragon. She roared, and charged at a startled Xander. Xander quickly snapped out of it, however, and brought up his sword to stop the dragon that was his sister.

"What is this?!" Hans snarled. "She's a dragon?"

Garon's eyes widened. "It has begun..." Was all he said.

"Wow, Kamui!" Elise shouted. "You're so cool and big now!"

"What did I miss?" Leo asked, walking into the throne room. His eyes widened. "By the devil!" He shouted. "What is that thing Xander's fighting?!"

"That's our dear sister Kamui, Leo." Camilla said. "She's grown!"

"Yeah!" Elise said. "She can take down Xander easily now!"

"How are you two so calm about this?!" Leo exclaimed.

Kamui blasted ice at Xander's feet, causing him to slip. She swung her neck at Xander, scraping him with her horns. She then slammed one of her legs on Xander's neck, pinning him. She kicked his sword out of his grasp.

"I admit defeat." Xander said, smiling. Kamui transformed back into a human, smiling as well.

"Well done." Garon said, still with the same unsmiling face as always. "I believe we have sufficient means to say you are able to join the war effort against Hoshido."

"Thank you, father!" Kamui said, bowing.

"I would also like to recruit all of your friends here, as well." Garon said. "We need as much help as we can get."

"We'll think about it." Shulk said almost immediately.

"I see. Very well. You have until tomorrow. Tomorrow, we are launching a full scale assault on Hoshido, and rescue your brother, Corrin."

"Corrin's in Hoshido?!" Kamui exclaimed. "How do you know?"

"A few hours before you appeared once more, I prayed to my god, Anankos. He told me that Corrin would appear in Hoshido, and be taken in by the Hoshidans, no doubt to be brainwashed."

"That's horrible!" Camilla exclaimed. "We can't let those evil Hoshidans change our Corrin!"

"Precisely." Garon said. "That's why we'll leave tomorrow at sunrise. I hope to see all of you there. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must have a private meeting with my two commanders here. Leave immediately."

"Yes, Father." Kamui said. She turned and walked out, with her siblings and comrades following her.

"Ooh, you should all get rooms!" Elise said. "We have so many, you could all easily fit! Follow me!" Elise giggled, and ran down the hall, with everyone else following her.

As they were walking, Robin and Lucina were both grabbed by the shoulders and pulled into a side hall. "What the-?!" Lucina exclaimed, summoning wind into her hands.

"Woah! Relax." A familiar voice said.

"You should recognize your old friends, come on!"

"Wait..." Robin said.

"Owain!" Lucina yelled. "Severa! Inigo! So this is where you've been!"

"Shh!" Owain said. "We can't have those names!"

"What?" Robin asked.

"We can't talk about it, but we've gotten new names." Inigo said. "From now on, call me Laslow."

"Call me Selena." Severa said.

"And you must call me Odin Dark, the greatest magician of all time!" Owain yelled.

"Glad to see you're personalities haven't changed." Robin said. "But why are you here?"

"I see you've met our retainers." Xander said from behind them. "Do you know them?"

"Ah, Lord Xander!" Laslow said, stiffening up. "You see... We were..."

"Robin and I got lost." Lucina said. "We ran into these three, and decided to ask them for directions. We're so sorry, Lord Xander."

"No need to call me Lord." Xander said, clearly not buying the lie. "Now, come with me. I'll show you to your room." Robin and Lucina followed Xander, Laslow, Odin, and Selena each giving a small goodbye wave.

"So, you two are married?" Xander said after a moment of silence.

"What?!" Lucina exclaimed. "How do you know that?!"

"Kamui said so. She also said you have a kid. A girl. Do you know where she is?"

"No." Robin admitted. "I don't know where she is, or half of our crew, for that matter."

* * *

"Ow..." Cloud said. He woke up, and immediately noticed large trees with pink blossoms. He looked around, trying to see everyone that was with him. Around him he saw: Tifa, Barret, Aerith, Cait Sith, Nanaki, Vincent, Yuffie, Cid, Zelda, Link, Linkle, Ruby, Yang, Morgan, Reflet, Corrin and Pit. "How is everyone?" Cloud asked.

"We're fine, thank you." Tifa said.

"What the hell happened?" Cid asked. "Where'd the Skywind go?"

"I don't know." Corrin said. "I have no idea where we are. It doesn't look like Nohr."

"It looks to me like we're in front of a palace..." Morgan observed.

"Identify yourself!" A man's voice came from the distance. The user of the voice had long brown hair, and wore red traditional samurai wear. Three more figures were by him. One was a woman with short, bright red hair, with shoulder guards, and boots made for what looked like horse riding. The next was a boy with blonde hair and a ponytail that draped down to his back, and a bow strapped to his back. The last was a really shy girl, with a modest dress and short, orange hair.

"Damn." Corrin said. "Hoshidans... We have to fight!"

"I'll ask again." The eldest said. "Identify yourself."

Corrin took a deep breath, and stood up. "I am Corrin, part of the royal family of Nohr!"

"Corrin?!" The older girl exclaimed. "No..."

"What is it?!" Corrin yelled. "Answer me! Or else I'll be forced to attack!"

"Corrin..." Yang said. "The looks on their faces. That's the look of finding a family member you thought was dead. It's the same one I gave Ruby when I found her in Remnant."

"No!" Corrin said. "That's not possible! I've never seen these people in my life!"

"You don't remember?" The eldest boy said. "What did those Nohrians do to you?"

"I..." Corrin said. The girl with red hair started walking towards Corrin.

 _I can't move._ Corrin thought. _These are my enemies! Why am I not taking the chance to kill them?!_

And then, the girl did something completely unexpected. She hugged Corrin. "Corrin...It's been so long..." She started crying in his chest. And then, a glimpse. A blurry image of a man laying in front of him, and what seemed to be King Garon grabbing him.

"No..." Corrin said.

"Welcome home, Corrin." The oldest said. "I believe we have much to talk about."

* * *

"Corrin, my dear, sweet child." The queen of Hoshido said. "It has been too long. I'm your mother, and the queen of Hoshido, Mikoto."

"I don't believe it." Corrin said. "My mother died when she gave birth to Kamui and me!"

"Your twin, right?" The youngest child said shyly. "O-Oh! Sorry... You d-don't know m-me. I'm S-Sakura. Nice to m-meet you."

"No need to be nervous." The oldest said. "You won't hurt her, right, Corrin?"

"N-No." Corrin said, still in shock over the situation. _My enemies are treating me like their sibling. Why? What happened?_

The oldest smiled. "I guess you don't remember who I am. I am Ryoma, your oldest brother. This is Hinoka, your older sister. You two were very close, before you were kidnapped. And this is-"

"I'm Takumi." The man with the bow said. "I don't trust you, or any of your friends here."

"Now, now." Mikoto said. "No need to be so rude. Do you feel anything, Corrin?"

"No." Corrin said. "I don't remember any of you?"

"You don't even have childhood memories?" Ryoma asked.

"I'm afraid I don't remember much from my childhood."

"No doubt the work of Nohrian scum." Hinoka said.

"Scum?!" Corrin exclaimed. "They took care of me and Kamui!"

"And where is she?!" Takumi yelled.

"S-She... I don't know, frankly." Corrin said, startled by the sudden outburst. "But I do know she's alive."

"If you don't mind me asking, who are these people with you?" Hinoka asked.

"They're my comrades." Corrin said. "They helped Kamui and I grow, and even opened our eyes to the world. There's so much more than these two kingdoms!"

"And h-how did you g-get here?" Sakura asked shyly, like always.

"Might've been a setback about the teleportation." Reflet said. "Half of us might've been teleported to a different part of this land. Most likely Nohr."

"Then there's no time to waste!" Ryoma said. "We know where our sister is. We need to rescue her!"

"Hold on, dear." Mikoto said. "We know the royal twins are alive! One of them has returned to us. We should celebrate! We'll hold a small celebration in town. I have a barrier up that can protect us from Nohrian attacks. We should celebrate first, and then go get Kamui."

Ryoma sighed. "I guess that's fair."

"Great! Where's Azura?"

"She w-went to the l-lake." Sakura said. "Want me to g-go get h-her?"

"Yes please, dear." Mikoto said. "Thank you." Sakura left quietly. "Ryoma, you, Hinoka and Takumi show these kind people around the town, and spread word that the royal twins have returned. Corrin, please come with me. I want to show you something." The mother and son left, leaving the royal siblings of Hoshido to lead the second half of the crew of the Skywind around town.

* * *

"This is your room." Mikoto said, leading Corrin upstairs, to a messy room with two beds, a whole bunch of toys scattered around, and a picture a little kid drew with six people on it: Mikoto, Corrin, Kamui, Ryoma, Hinoka, and their father. "You and Kamui always were closer than close. You shared this room. We never wanted to clean it up. If we did that, it would feel like we were giving up on you two ever returning, and yet, here you are!"

"What's this picture?" Corrin asked.

"Oh, that was something you and Kamui drew together! It was our family at the time. You two are there, Ryoma and Hinoka are there, and that's your father and me!"

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to us?"

"You don't remember something like that?"

"I'm afraid not, no."

"Well, your father, Sumeragi, was called by Garon to a peace conference, to stop the conflict between the two countries. He thought it best to take you two with him. But, it turned out Garon only wanted to kill him. He killed your father in cold blood, and took you two as his own children."

"What?! Father... I mean, Garon... Was never that cruel!"

Mikoto sighed. "It was a sad day for all of us in Hoshido. I was hoping that bringing you to your old room would trigger some memories, but I guess not..."

"I'm sorry." Corrin said. "I feel like you could be my mother, but...I feel nothing for you, or any of my 'siblings.' I am so sorry."

"No, it's all right." Mikoto sighed. "I need to go down to the city. I hope you'll join me soon. Stay here for as long as you like."

"Thank you... Mother." Corrin said. Mikoto smiled at that, and walked out of the room. Corrin stayed in there for a few more minutes, and decided to join his comrades down in town.

As he walked outside, he heard some singing in the main hall.

 _You are the ocean's gray waves,_

 _Destined to seek life beyond the shore just out of reach._

 _Yet the waters ever change,_

 _Flowing like time, the path is yours to climb._

A girl with long blue hair and a long sleeveless dress was standing in the center, singing this song. "That's a beautiful song." Corrin commented.

The girl turned around, startled. "I'm sorry!" Corrin apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you..."

"No... It's fine." The girl said. "You're...Corrin, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I'm guessing by now everyone in Hoshido can recognize me. Who are you?"

"I'm Azura." The girl said. "I...guess you could say I'm in the same position as you. I'm a child of Nohr, kidnapped by some Hoshidans."

"What?!" Corrin exclaimed. "I am so sorry..."

"Don't be." Azura said. "Hoshido is filled with great people. I've felt welcome here at all times."

"Oh..." Corrin said.

"There's a festival going on outside." Azura said. "Just for you. Do you want to go together?"

"Wait, together?!" Corrin exclaimed. "I...uh..."

Azura giggled. "I didn't mean it like that. Come on!" With that, Azura grabbed his hand, and pulled him outside.

* * *

"Wow..." Corrin said. "I didn't think people could get this lively."

"Isn't it great?" Azura said. "It feels so great..."

"Hey there!" A woman said from behind a food booth. "You're Corrin, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am." Corrin said.

"Well, golly! Here take a roll, on the house. Take one for you girlfriend, too!"

"Oh, we're not-" Azura said.

"Sure, thank you so much, ma'am." Corrin responded.

"No need to call me ma'am!" The woman said. "Good bye!"

"Bye!" Corrin said. He handed one of the rolls to Azura, who took it, and started eating it.

"I suppose we should meet up with Queen Mikoto." Azura said. "She's probably waiting for you."

"All right." Corrin said. "Let's go."

They walked towards the center of town, where Mikoto stood near a statue of a pure white dragon, the Dawn Dragon. The crew of the Skywind in Hoshido was there, as well as the rest of the royal siblings.

Mikoto turned around, and saw Corrin. "Ah..." She said as she smiled. "There you are."

As she walked forward, Corrin noticed a man in a gray cloak walk forward, his face completely hidden. There were bandages wrapped all over his body. He walked past all the villagers, straight to the middle of the area.

"Something isn't right." Cloud said to his comrades. "Be prepared for anything."

"Got it." Ruby said.

The man in the cloak pulled out a sword from his cloak, one that emitted a dark power. He stabbed it into the ground, and a shock wave emitted from the hilt, causing buildings to fall on civilians. "Everyone, get down!" Tifa yelled, pushing as many as she could onto the ground.

Corrin braced himself for the shock wave. "What the...?" The sword broke into shards, floating around the man. He made a motion with his hand, and all the shards flew at Corrin at a speed so fast, he couldn't move in time. But somebody did.

Mikoto screamed in pain as the shards from the sword hit her in the back. She collapsed into Corrin's arms. "You...weren't hurt? Tell me...you're OK." Was all she said.

Tears started forming in Corrin's eyes. "No.." Was all he said.

"I'm...glad..." She closed her eyes. She died in Corrin's arms. The mother he never had.

"Mother!" Corrin yelled, gripping her dead body even harder, her body still warm.

"M-Mother!" Sakura yelled. She tried to run towards Mikoto, but Ryoma stopped her. He pulled out his electric katana, Raijinoto. "You there!" He yelled. "Show yourself!" He dashed forward, and swung at the man. When Ryoma's blade connected, it cut straight through the cloak, but not the man, who teleported to the far end of the rubble. Ryoma ran to fight him.

"Is everyone all right?" Pit asked.

"Yeah..." Linkle said. "What was that?"

A roar came from where Mikoto lay. Corrin's anger grew too far, and he let his dragon form take charge.

"He's lost control!" Reflet yelled. "He's gone into Draconic Rage. He'll be in it until we do something about it."

"This is horrible..." Ruby said. "Did...Nohr do this?"

"It seems logical." Cloud said. "At least now we know who the real enemy is in this land."

Corrin roared again, charging towards the man who just killed his mother. "Come on!" Hinoka yelled. "We need to help Corrin!"

* * *

"Today is the day." Xander said. Everyone was getting their animals together in the stables. "We'll be charging towards Nohr to get Corrin back to us. I'm glad to see you've all joined us in this battle."

"Corrin is our friend." Shulk said. "That's the only reason why we joined the army."

"You didn't give us much of a choice." Fiora said. "It was either join, or life imprisonment."

Xander flinched. "My father...he is a bit harsh in his ruling. That's one of the many laws I'm hoping to change once I become king of Nohr."

"You already seem to be a better king than Garon." Robin said.

"I'm not king yet. Come on. We need to get going."

"Kamui!" A voice yelled from outside the stables.

Kamui turned around, smiling. She could recognize that voice anywhere. "Felicia!" Her clumsy maid, Felicia, was running towards her. Following her was her butler, Jakob, and the mysterious girl Lilith.

"It appears we're coming with you." Jakob said.

"Yeah!" Felicia said. "Flora will be taking care of the Northern Fortress while we're gone with you."

"That's great!" Kamui said. "But what about Gunter?"

Felicia flinched. "Gunter... He was sent on a scouting mission to the Bottomless Canyon. He didn't make it past the Hoshidans, and ended up falling down the canyon."

"No..." Kamui said.

"I'm sorry..." Jakob said. "I know how much he meant to you and Corrin. He meant a lot to me, as well."

Kamui took a deep breath. "We can't dwell on the past. We need to save my brother."

"Everyone ready?" Xander asked. "Great. Onward!" He reared his horse forward, and had it run full speed ahead, with the royal siblings of Nohr, Kamui, Felicia, Jakob, Lilith, and the first half of the crew of the Skywind close behind.

* * *

Corrin, still in dragon form, roared. He had taken out the man who killed Mikoto, but was still in Draconic Rage. "What are we gonna do?" Yang exclaimed. He isn't stopping!"

 _You are the ocean's gray waves,_

 _Destined to seek life beyond the shore just out of reach._

Azura started approaching Corrin, singing her song. "Azura, stop!" Ryoma yelled, dashing towards her, but was pushed back by a burst of water. Azura continued singing.

 _Yet the waters ever change_

"Ah!" Azura screamed as she was pushed down by Corrin.

"No!" Sakura yelled.

 _Flowing like time, the path is yours to climb._

Azura finished her song, almost singing through pain. Corrin pinned her down to the ground, knocking the breath out of her. "Kill me if you want..." Azura said through frantic breaths. "But...do it as yourself." With that line, Corrin released Azura, and calmed down, changing back into a human.

"I...remember..." He said. "I remember! Father..."

"So, you remember?" Ryoma asked.

"Yes. You are my real siblings."

"Good to hear that out of your lips."

"Gods..." Takumi said. "This... This is... You did this!" Takumi said, walking angrily towards Corrin. "If you never showed up, this wouldn't have happened! Garon sent this attack to save you, and in the process, killed Mother!"

"Hey!" Cloud said, getting in between Corrin and Takumi. "Calm down. Corrin had nothing to do with this. If he did, then you have every right to kill him and me. But I can assure you with every part of me that is pure, Corrin is innocent in this."

"Ryoma!" A man came running forward. "Urgent news."

"What is it, Yukimura?" Ryoma asked.

"The Nohrians are approaching." Yukimura said. "It seems they're coming to finish the job."

"I see." Ryoma said. "Everyone! We must fight. I hope all of us present here will take a role to fight the Nohrians."

"No..." Corrin said. "They...Xander, Camilla, Leo...Elise... They aren't capable of this."

"It sure points to them doing this." Cloud said. "Come on. Maybe you can convince them to join Hoshido."

"A-All right..." Corrin said. He stood up, and helped Azura onto her feet. Together, the two walked towards the battlefield.

* * *

Robin gasped. "That's..."

"Morgan!" Lucina yelled.

"Everyone's there." Shulk said. Everyone in the crew of the Skywind jumped off their horses and ran towards the center.

"Kamui!" Corrin exclaimed.

"Corrin!" Kamui yelled back.

"Ruby! Yang!" Blake yelled. "You're all right!"

"Yeah." Yang said.

"You're all dirty." Weiss observed. "What happened?"

"Corrin! Kamui!" Xander yelled from the west side of the battlefield. "You're all right! Glad to see you're still alive!"

"Yay!" Elise yelled. "We get both of our siblings back today!"

"Nohrian scum!" Hinoka yelled. "They're our siblings!"

"I disagree." Camilla said. "Who was the one who raised these kids when they were little?"

"Corrin, you know the truth." Ryoma said. "Tell it to Kamui!"

"What truth?" Kamui asked.

Corrin took a deep breath. "Garon isn't our father." He said. "We... We're royal children of Hoshido. The former queen of Hoshido was our mother."

"What?!" Kamui exclaimed. "That's not true!"

"Kamui, you know me more than anyone in the world. Probably more than I know myself. Do I look like I'm lying?"

"No..." Kamui looked down.

"Now you know the truth, Kamui." Ryoma said. "Now, come. Join your true family, with Corrin!"

"No, Kamui." Xander said. "Corrin, do not be fooled by these Hoshidans. It is true, they are your real family. But bonds are certainly stronger than blood!"

"Ha!" Takumi said. "What good are those bonds after Kamui finds out that Nohr destroyed Hoshido's capital and killed the queen, her mother?!"

"What?!" Kamui exclaimed. "Is that true, Corrin?!"

"Yes." Corrin said. "But Xander and the rest never had anything to do with it."

"Corrin, Kamui." Xander said. "You stand at a crossroads. You cannot play both sides in this war. Both of you must decide which path you're to choose. Will you join those you barely know, or will you join us, the ones who raised you both since you were children?"

"Don't listen to him!" Ryoma yelled. "They're all murderers! We will keep you safe, and make sure you will grow safely! You wouldn't abandon your own family, would you?!"

"I agree." Shulk said. "It's time to choose. I hate to put this all on you, but this is your fight."

"What do we do, Corrin?" Kamui said. "I don't want to abandon Xander, Camilla, Leo and Elise, but I don't want to fight for murderers!"

"I also don't want to abandon them. But they aren't the ones at fault here."

"There has to be another choice..."

The twins looked at each other, almost communicating with each other, like how Shulk and his friends first met them at Remnant. They nodded, and faced each side.

"We have decided to not join either side!" Kamui yelled.

"What?!" Felicia exclaimed.

"You can't be serious, milady!" Jakob said.

"We are completely serious." Corrin said. "We can't just abandon either family. There has to be a middle ground. And we're going to find it!"

There was stunned silence for a few seconds. "I see." Shulk was the first one to break the silence. "In that case..." He pulled out the Monado and pointed it at Corrin and Kamui.

"What?!" Kamui said, taking a few stunned steps back towards Corrin.

"Corrin and Kamui." Shulk said, his expression not changing. "You are hereby arrested for treason against the Kingdom of Nohr. Surrender peacefully, and we will not harm you."

"Shulk!" Robin said. "You can't be serious!"

"I am completely serious." Shulk said.

"I can't allow this!" Robin said. He stood in front of Kamui and Corrin, in between them and Shulk. "I don't care if it will make me a damn traitor. I will stand with Corrin and Kamui to the very end."

"As will I!" Lucina said, standing next to Robin.

"And I!" Reflet said, standing on the other side of Robin.

"I will too!" Morgan said.

"Me too!" Ruby said.

"I too!" Weiss said.

"I will as well." Blake said.

"Me too!" Yang said.

"You won't hurt these two!" Linkle yelled.

"Don't worry, loves." Tracer said. "Cavalry's here to protect you."

"Guys..." Corrin said.

"I'll join you, as well." Azura said.

"Me too!" Lilith said.

"We will as well." Jakob said. "Felicia?"

"O-OK!" All fourteen of them surrounded Corrin and Kamui, protecting them.

"I see." Shulk said. "You leave me with no choice." He lifted the Monado, and prepared to swing down on Robin. As soon as he brought it down, Cloud came dashing in, blocking the strike from Shulk.

"I won't let this happen." Cloud said. "Corrin and Kamui must be returned to Hoshido, their rightful home. Guys?"

Tifa, Barret, Aerith, Cait Sith, Nanaki, Vincent, Yuffie, Cid, Link, Zelda, and Pit all lined up next to Cloud. "We side with Hoshido!" They all said at once.

Fiora, Reyn, Sharla, Dunban, Melia, Riki, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, and Dark Pit all lined up with Shulk. "We side with Nohr!" They all said at once.

"No..." Kamui said. "Stop this! What the hell is wrong with all of you! Snap out of it! you're friends!"

"It's no use." Robin said. "There's something going on. Something that's causing hate between our friends."

"What?" Corrin said. Azura flinched, as if she knew something.

"Well, this got interesting." Xander said. "Corrin and Kamui, I will bring you back to Nohr your rightful home, even if it will kill me. Army of Nohr! Attack!"

"Army of Hoshido!" Ryoma yelled. "Fight back! Fight for the twins!"

Both armies yelled at the same time, and clashed in the middle. "No... No!" Kamui yelled. "Stop it!"

The crew of the Skywind were fighting each other. Shulk swung at Cloud, who slid underneath Shulk and kicked out Shulk's legs from underneath. Tifa was throwing punches at Fiora, who blocked all of them, and fired bullets from the drones on her back. Barret and Reyn were having a full blown gun fight. Everyone was fighting someone else.

"This isn't what we wanted..." Corrin said. "This can't be happening!"

"Corrin!" Azura said. She did something nobody was expecting. She slapped Corrin across the face. "Snap out of it! We need to do something, and we need to do it now!"

Robin looked around. "I see two captains that are leading the main charge. Take them out, the army will be in disarray."

"What about our friends?" Ruby asked. "Team JNPR... What's gotten into them?"

"Like it or not, they're under the influence of Xander and Ryoma respectively." Reflet said. "If they call the order to retreat, they will."

"So we take out the captains, and they'll call back the armies?" Kamui asked.

"That's what should happen." Lucina said.

"Then we've got no time to waste!" Morgan said. "My family, Reflet, Kamui, Tracer and Linkle will go fight the captain for Nohr. Team RWBY, Corrin, Jakob, Felicia, and Lilith will take out the captain for Hoshido. Let's move!"

"This isn't them." Tracer mumbled to herself. "My friends couldn't act this way!" She blinked towards the captain of Nohr, and distracted him with bullets from behind. Linkle fired quick blasts of arrows at the surrounding enemies, and Kamui came in as a dragon and sliced the captains chest, killing him.

Jakob and Felicia threw daggers at the enemies surrounding Hoshido's captain, while Ruby came in with a scythe and weakened the captain. Corrin came in as a dragon and stabbed the captain in the chest.

"What?!" Xander exclaimed. "They've killed our captain! All soldiers of Nohr, fall back!"

"Our general's down?!" Ryoma exclaimed. "Hoshido, fall back!"

Cloud and Shulk gave each other stares of anger. "Until next time." Shulk said through a snarl of hate.

Cloud snarled back. "Until next time." Each hero turned around, and retreated back to their respective countries borders.

"Why?" Xander asked. "Corrin, Kamui... Why'd you do this?"

"I thought you would realize..." Ryoma said. "That you were meant to be with us in this war."

"Please, if you two would just listen..." Corrin said.

"I have no time to listen to the words of a traitor." Xander said. "You have now been officially marked for treason of the kingdom of Nohr. You will never be able to show your face there again."

"Xander..." Kamui said.

"Hoshido will be off limits for you all as well." Ryoma said. "You have abandoned your family, thus revoking the right to the throne. You are now all seen as criminals to Hoshido, and will be arrested on spot. Farewell." Ryoma turned and walked towards Hoshido. Xander said nothing as he turned as well, leaving the fourteen deserters alone.

"Xander!" Corrin yelled. "Ryoma! Wait!"

"Corrin, stop." Azura said. "It's no use. We need to run."

"Fine." Corrin said. They all turned and ran to the north, trying to find a place to hide.

"There's nowhere they won't find us!" Yang yelled. "We need to try somewhere else!"

"I believe I have somewhere." Lilith said. "But...it will change me."

"Lilith-" Kamui started.

"But I don't mind! I might be even more useful in that form."

"I say do it." Linkle said. "We're running out of time."

Lilith cupped her hands together. "Oh First Dragons, I beseech you, grant your power unto me!" A flash of light surrounded them all, transporting them to an entirely new dimension.

* * *

"So, Corrin and Kamui have deserted?" Garon asked. "A pity. But we must move on."

"Yes, Father." Xander said, kneeling to his father. The royal siblings of Nohr were there, as well as the members of the Skywind that decided to join Nohr.

"I see we have many new recruits." Garon said. "They all seem very capable."

"We're here only to serve you, King Garon." Shulk said. "And anything you desire, we will do."

Garon smiled. "Very good. I am proud to say you have proven yourself as warriors of Nohr. Now, rise, and be proud, as you now serve under the Dusk Dragon!"

* * *

"Why did Corrin and Kamui decide to not join anybody?!" Ryoma yelled.

"I don't know." Cloud said. "But we cannot worry about them for long. With Mikoto dead, the barrier surrounding Hoshido is gone, meaning that Nohr will no doubt send a counter attack as soon as possible."

"Yes, that's true." Ryoma said.

"Do you want me to tell the soldiers?"

"No, I should do it. I'm glad you and your friends stayed, Cloud. We need all the strength we can get."

* * *

"Where are we?" Corrin asked.

"We're in a place called a Deeprealm." Lilith's voice came from behind them.

"Lilith!" Kamui exclaimed. "You're..."

"A dragon, I know." Lilith said. "I'm afraid I'm stuck in this form, however. But I don't mind! If it meant helping you and Corrin out, that is. We can stay here for a while, but whenever we leave, we always come back at the same spot. Best to stay here for the night."

"I understand." Corrin said. "Thank you, Lilith, for your sacrifice."

"Uh, here." Ruby said. She rummaged in her bag and found some bread. "I think you might want this."

"Oh, thank you, uh..."

"Ruby."

"Ruby! Thank you so much!" Lilith ate the bread in a heartbeat. "I'll be heading to that building over there. That's where I rest, so if you ever need me, just head over there." With that, Lilith flew away.

"So this is where we'll stay for the night?" Azura observed. "Kind of spacious, and bare."

"Well, thankfully I have some mats." Robin said. "We'll have a comfortable place to sleep."

"That's good." Corrin said. He squinted in the distance, thinking he saw two glints of golden light. "What's that over there?"

"Where?" Kamui asked. Both walked over, and saw two golden swords in the ground, each almost calling Corrin and Kamui over.

"What's this?" Azura asked. She looked at the swords, and gasped. "That's... The Yato!"

"The Yato?" Corrin asked.

"Yes." Azura said. "It's said to show itself to the hero who will bring peace to the land. But...there's two of them. There's only supposed to be one."

"It feels like it's beckoning me..." Kamui said.

"Me too." Corrin replied.

"Then there's no doubt about it." Azura said. "You two are the heroes who will bring peace to this land. Pull out the Yatos. They're yours now."

Corrin and Kamui each pulled out a respective Yato. "It fits my hand perfectly." Kamui said. "Its weight feels natural to me."

"That's how it's supposed to be." Azura said. She looked up into the sky. "It's getting dark. Let's get to bed. I believe I know a good spot to hide for a while. We'll head there in the morning."

Morgan got a fire started, and each of them laid down a mattress, and laid their bodies across. Robin looked up to the clouds, pondering. _Shulk... Cloud..._ He laid on his side, and fell asleep as the last of the fire died out.


	8. XenoWorlds: Branches of Fate Part 2

"So what now?" Linkle asked, after they left the Deeprealm. "We aren't exactly the people anyone wants to see at the moment."

"Azura, you said you had a spot to hide, right?" Corrin asked.

"Yes." Azura said. "It is not too far from here."

"Best to get moving now." Reflet said. "Both Nohr and Hoshido know we went this way. Let's get going!"

"Follow me." Azura said. She moved to the west, and the rest of them followed her.

* * *

"Hey..." Selena said. Her, Laslow and Odin were walking down a hallway in the castle of Nohr, when they saw a man walk down the hallway in the opposite direction. "That's Shulk, isn't it?"

"That it is." Laslow said. "But...something's different."

"He does not look like the warrior he once was..." Odin said. "Something's on his mind."

"Hey, Shulk!" Laslow said as Shulk walked past him. Shulk didn't even so much as look at him.

"Hey!" Selena said. "That wasn't nice!"

"Leave it." Laslow said. "We shouldn't even be here. Garon has called all soldiers to train before we send an attack to conquer Hoshido."

"Very well." Odin said. "Let us go!"

Shulk walked into the war council room, where he was voted to be the voice of his friends. Xander, Iago, Hans and Garon were already there.

"Good to see you, Shulk." Xander said. "Now that we're all here, let's get started."

"Very well." Garon said. "Now that the queen of Hoshido is no more, we must send a full scale assault to take Hoshido. All troops will go as soon as possible."

"If I may, Your Majesty." Shulk said. "But I don't believe that's the wisest choice."

"What do you mean?!" Iago exclaimed. "You dare defy the king!"

"Let him speak, Iago." Garon said.

"If we send all our troops at once to our enemies doorstep, then Hoshido can easily wipe us out with their strongest commanders.." Shulk said. "We must send our army in large groups at the time. It will mess with their minds, make them think that all our soldiers are either wiped out, or imprisoned. They'll send out their strongest to try and take out what they think to be our undefended capital, but it will be far from it. We will have the best defenses here, and take out the strongest Hoshidans. That will leave Hoshido truly open."

"Interesting." Garon said. "Is there more to this plan?"

"There is." Shulk said. "This would be easy if it was just Hoshido, but now we have a new threat to worry about."

"Corrin and Kamui." Xander said.

"Precisely. But I don't see them as a threat. The two were talking about how one day, above the Bottomless Canyon, the skies would change, where night at Nohr would turn to day, and day at Hoshido would turn to night. They believe something will happen there, something important."

"If I'm correct, I believe that's two weeks from now." Xander said.

"Exactly. When it happens, Corrin, Kamui, and their comrades will be there. But the Bottomless Canyon is narrow. We can only send so many across. I say we send our most elite to take out Corrin and Kamui."

"What about Hoshido?" Hans asked. "It seems to me that you just moved off of Hoshido, our real enemy."

"Ah, but I haven't. You see, my friends who turned traitorous and sided with Hoshido also know of this. Corrin and Kamui have also made enemies with Hoshido. If they want them out of the way, they'll head there too. They'll no doubt send their best soldiers as well. If we can take out both Hoshido's elite, and Corrin and Kamui, we've essentially taken out both of our enemies at once."

"How do we know you aren't in league with your 'comrades' in Hoshido?" Iago asked. "How do we know you aren't just leading us into a trap?"

"Iago!" Garon yelled. "Enough. Shulk has proven himself more than trustworthy. I declare that we follow this plan. Xander, I want you to get together a small group of our best soldiers all across Nohr. Inform them of this plan. Shulk, I also want you to get together your comrades. You will join Xander and the soldiers he chooses to the Bottomless Canyon, where you say Corrin and Kamui will be."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Shulk said, bowing.

"Iago and Hans, you will appoint soldiers and commanders to attack at Hoshido. You will join them as well. Is that understood?"

"Of course." Iago said. "We...will follow Shulk's plan."

"Good." Garon said. "Now, if you will excuse me, I grow tired. Leave at once."

"Of course, Father." Xander said. The four of them left Garon to his own.

"Xander." Shulk said. "A word?"

"Of course, Shulk." Xander said. Shulk and Xander walked down a separate hallway, leaving Iago and Hans alone.

"I don't trust that man." Hans said.

"Nor do I." Iago replied.

"What is it, Shulk?" Xander asked.

"Do you hate this war?" Shulk asked.

Xander sighed. "Yes, I do. But I can't defy Father."

"That is not your father." Shulk said.

"What?!"

"That is a demon, taking his place and wearing his corpse."

"You're lying."

"I am not. You may not believe me, but I am a seer. I can see the flow of time. Before my comrades and I even came to this land, I had a vision. I saw Garon transform. He transformed into something so grotesque, I can't describe it. But your father is dead. He's been dead for a long time. That monster you're calling Father is merely taking his place to push Hoshido and Nohr to war for his master."

"I can't believe this, Shulk. I thought you were with Nohr!"

"Keep your voice down." Shulk sighed. "Corrin and Kamui are doing the right thing. I know that. My friends in Hoshido know it as well."

"You're still in league with them?!"

"Yes. But they are not our enemies! They are not sided with Hoshido."

"But you just said you aren't sided with Nohr!"

"We are here to convince you."

"Convince us of what?" Xander pulled out his sword, and pointed it at Shulk's neck. "What can you possibly tell me that I don't already know?!"

"That Hoshido and Nohr are only at war because of a greater threat." Shulk said. "And in order to eliminate that threat, Hoshido and Nohr need to unite."

Xander snarled. "I don't believe you." Xander said. "Tell me why I can't arrest you for treason, right here!"

"Because you have no evidence." Shulk said. "It's my word against yours. And I've certainly proved myself worthy in Garon's eyes."

Xander flinched. "That's true." He said.

"I can prove to you that everything I've said is true." Shulk said. "In a week, once you've gathered the most elite, you will find Garon in shock, saying nonsense about destruction of the world. After that, will you trust me?"

Xander sighed. "Fine. If what you say is true, then I will have no choice but to trust you." He put away his sword. "But be warned. If you are lying, I will kill you."

"Understood." Shulk said. "Now, don't you have some messages to send out?"

"I suppose I do." Xander said. He left without looking back.

Shulk looked around, to make sure he was alone. When he confirmed that he was alone, he pulled out his scroll, the communication devices from Remnant. He pushed in a number, and made a call. "Cloud." Shulk said. "I've done my part here. It wasn't easy, but Xander is in. What about you?" Shulk listened for a bit, and smiled. "Great. In two weeks then." He put away his scroll, and walked to his room.

A flash of light emerged a few feet from where Shulk was standing earlier. "Dammit." Iago said. "I just missed them. What are you up to, Shulk?"

* * *

"Cloud." Ryoma said. Hoshido was in the middle of making a war plan. "Are you sure that this will work?"

"Positive." Cloud said. "I know what Corrin and Kamui said. When day turns to night, and night turns to day, they will be at the Bottomless Canyon. Shulk knows this as well. As the Bottomless Canyon has very narrow passageways from both sides, only my old comrades and Nohr's most elite will be there to take Corrin, Kamui, and their comrades. We must go there to stop Nohr, and bring Corrin and Kamui back."

"I see." Yukimura said. "We'll be able to take out two birds with one stone. But are you sure they'll be there?"

"Yes." Cloud said. "I know how they all think. Traveling with them for a few months has made me very close with them. Shulk is thinking about this as well. He's also thinking about what I would do. He must've figured out that we'll be there as well. Ryoma, I need you to get together Hoshido's most elite for this mission. Yukimura, I need you to get together a defense of Hoshido for an attack that's bound to be sent by Nohr while Ryoma and I are away. Got that?"

"Understood." Yukimura said.

"Good. If you don't mind, Yukimura, I have something I wish to tell Ryoma in private."

"I...suppose that is all right." Yukimura said. "Best of luck to you both." He walked out of the room, leaving Ryoma and Cloud alone.

"What is it, Cloud?" Ryoma said. "Do you not trust Yukimura?"

"No, I do." Cloud said. "But I don't think he'd be happy to hear what I have to say."

"And what would that be?"

"Do you hate this war?"

"What kind of question is that?" Ryoma asked. "Of course I do. We are a peace loving country."

"Good. Because this war between Hoshido and Nohr is a distraction."

"What?!"

"You heard me. This war is caused by a hidden force, one much more powerful than Nohr and Hoshido. The real Garon is dead. The Garon that killed your father, Sumeragi, and set up the murder of Mikoto is a demon, one sent by that force to push this war to its tipping point."

"And why does this force want us to fight?"

"Shulk said it hates humans. So, because it hates humans, it wants them to destroy each other for its own amusement."

"You've been in league with our enemies?!"

"From the very beginning."

"Traitor!" Ryoma pulled out his katana and held it to Cloud's chest. Cloud instinctively reached for his Fusion Sword on his back.

"I am no traitor." Cloud said. "All of us are here to bring peace to whatever land we stumble across! That has been true since the time Shulk and I decided to travel together. We do it with as little innocent bloodshed as possible. I can assure you that the only ones at fault here are the impostor Garon, his most loyal, and the unknown force."

"So you're saying your friend, Shulk, and the royal children of Nohr are at fault here?"

"No, they're not."

"But you just said that the most loyal to this demon Garon are at fault!"

"They aren't as loyal to him as you think. Shulk has reported to me that they do their best to defy Garon every chance they get, while also carrying out the mission. There is one I know of where the heir to the throne of Nohr, Xander, was ordered by Garon to kill everyone in a city because there was thought to be a rebellion there. Instead of doing that, he sent as many as he could out a back passage no Nohrian soldiers were guarding."

Ryoma's muscles tightened. "I don't believe this. How do you even know of all this in the first place?"

"You don't know this, but Shulk's a seer. He can see the flow of time. Before we even arrived in this plane, he saw that Garon was a demon, that there was a hidden force in the works, and that we'd be able to see it when night turns to day and day turns to night."

Ryoma studied him carefully. "You don't appear to be lying. But, nonetheless, I can't say for sure that your words are true. Do you have any way of proving to me that what you say is true?"

"I do." Cloud said. "Near the border of Nohr, there lies a city named Cheve. That story I told you, with the crown prince of Nohr? There is a woman there named Scarlet who lived through it all. After you have gathered together the soldiers you want to join us on this trip to the Bottomless Canyon, I want you to travel to Cheve to find this Scarlet, and make sure that the story is true. I guarantee you, if she says that story is true, then you can trust everything else I have to say."

Ryoma thought for a while. Then, he put away his katana. "Very well. I'll do as you say. But, be prepared for my wrath if I found out that what you say is false."

"Good. Let me assure you, Ryoma, we _need_ Nohr's help to take out this threat. Corrin and Kamui are doing the right thing."

"Do they know of this plan of yours?"

"No." Cloud said. "We feared they would rebel against us if they knew of our plan. Only a few of my comrades, as well as I, know about this plan."

"Hmm." Ryoma said. "I hope you know what you are doing, bringing together mortal enemies. Farewell, and may you think hard about the information you just shared." With that, Ryoma left Cloud to himself.

As soon as Ryoma left, Cloud's scroll buzzed. He answered it. It was Shulk. "Hello?" A pause. "Yes. Ryoma is in. Now let us hope Robin is doing his part." Another pause. "In two weeks." He hung up his scroll, and headed back to his room. _Everything's falling into place._ He thought. _Perfect._

* * *

"Um, why are we at the Bottomless Canyon, Azura?" Kamui asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Yang asked. "It's our hiding spot!"

"Well, almost." Azura said. "There's one more step."

"And what is that, if I might ask?" Jakob asked.

"We jump in."

"W-What?!" Felicia exclaimed. "Y-You can't be serious?!"

"She's completely serious." Robin said. "We jump."

"But...It's supposed to be bottomless..." Tracer said.

"Hence the name." Weiss added. "Do you have a death wish or something?!"

"All right." Corrin said. "If Azura says we jump, then we jump."

"Uh..." Linkle said, looking down at the black pit below. "Can't we find a cave or something?"

"I say we trust Azura." Corrin said. "She hasn't led me astray since the moment I've met her."

"Does my twin have a crush?" Kamui teased.

"K-Kamui!" Corrin said, his face reddening. Azura's face also reddened, though she tried her best to hide it. "All right. Let's go!"

"Come on." Robin said. "We're all doing it."

"I'm in, dad!" Morgan said.

"Yeah! Me too!" Ruby replied.

Tracer sighed. "This is a stupid idea. But, as I always say, keep calm and Tracer on!"

"You don't say that." Blake said. "At all."

"What?! Of course I do!"

"And what does that even mean?" Reflet asked. "How do you-"

"That doesn't matter!" Lucina yelled. "If we're jumping, we need to do it now!"

"Right." Azura said. She stepped over the rope line on the wooden bridge. She looked back, smiled, and let herself fall. Corrin and Kamui followed without hesitation, and everyone else soon afterward.

After what seemed like a lifetime of falling, Corrin slowly opened his eyes. When he did, he saw green fields, with floating islands of land, and ruins scattered all around.

"Is everyone all right?" Kamui asked.

"Y-Yes." Felicia said, covering her mouth, and looking a bit green. "Just...feeling a bit sick, that's all... Excuse me." Felicia quickly ran behind a rock.

"Where are we?" Morgan asked.

"We are in the kingdom of Valla." Azura said. "A kingdom hidden between Nohr and Hoshido, and the real cause of this war."

"The real cause?" Corrin asked.

"I'm afraid we can't talk out here." Azura said. "We'll be found. This way."

"Wait!" Linkle said. "I thought you said this was a hiding place! What do you mean we'll be found?!"

Azura led them into a large cave, that could easily fit all of them. "This should be a good spot." Azura said.

"All right, explain." Kamui said.

Azura sighed. "Long ago, there was a dragon. His name was Anankos. He loved humans. He imbued the royal families of both Nohr and Hoshido with his blood, which is why they can alter certain landscapes."

"We can?" Corrin asked.

"Yes." Azura said. "It appears you won't ever taught to use that power in Nohr. But that is besides the point. Anankos lived here, and was great friends with the royal line of Valla. But, alas, tragedy struck. Anankos found himself going further and further into his dragon instincts. That was, to kill humans. Thankfully, the royal line was able to sing an ancient song to him to quell his rage. It is the one I sang to you, Corrin, when you were taken over by the Draconic Rage."

"What?!" Corrin exclaimed.

"Yes. I was taught that song by my mother and father."

"But, if only the royal line of Valla know that song..." Kamui said.

"Yes." Azura said. "My mother and father were the king and queen of Valla, making me the princess."

"Were?" Blake asked.

"Yes. Sadly, Anankos rage became to great, and in his rage, killed my father. My mother and I, still at a young age, had to flee to Nohr. With the royal family gone, Anankos took control of the throne, and decided that all humans must be eradicated, thus starting the war between Hoshido and Nohr."

"That's horrible!" Lucina exclaimed.

"Whats more, Anankos put a curse on the land of Valla, making it so that if you talk about it at all outside of its borders, you will disappear from existence."

"So that's why you never told us before..." Reflet said.

"Yes. You have no idea how painful it was to just sit there, knowing the reason for all the fighting, yet not be able to tell anyone why. My mother tried, but the curse still got her. She died a few months after we arrived at Nohr, and Garon married her."

"Well, we should go and take out Anankos now!" Corrin said.

"We can't." Azura said. "Anankos has an entire army of dead spirits from the Underworld."

"Risen?!" Lucina asked.

"No." Robin said, the first time he spoke since they arrived. "These are just spirits, not given any worthy body, just given enough physical form to fight."

"Anankos himself is also extremely powerful." Azura said. "You saw what happened when he took control of Valla. Plus, he is impermeable to any weapon we have with us presently. They will barely do a scratch on him."

"So what do we do?" Corrin asked.

"We must unite Hoshido and Nohr." Robin said. "Their combined strength will get us through the army of spirits, and to Anankos."

"But we need to kill Anankos, right?" Tracer asked. "How do we do that, if our weapons can't touch him?"

"I believe I have an answer for that." Azura said. "The sacred weapon, the Yato. I heard that it has a form that can destroy any unholy thing in the world."

"You mean, our swords?" Kamui asked. "Great! How do we get that form?"

"I don't know." Azura said.

"I have heard rumors that the one who supposedly made all the sacred weapons in the world lives in a sanctuary in a mountain near Notre Sagesse." Jakob said. "I believe he might have the answer to that."

"Then it's settled." Corrin said. "We'll head there first. Then, we'll convince Nohr and Hoshido to stop fighting."

"Yeah, like that's gonna work." Weiss said. "We're traitors to both sides. They won't listen to us!"

"And our friends that joined either side won't listen either." Reflet said. "They seem to have fallen victim to the magic Anankos is using."

"So, how do we get them to stop fighting?" Tracer asked.

"I suppose I should say this." Azura said. "When night turns to day, and day turns to night, the passage will open or close."

"What?" Kamui asked.

A sound from deep within the cave sounded. "Someone's here!" Robin said. Everyone pulled out their weapons, ready to fight.

"Is someone here?" A deep voice asked. "I mean you no harm."

Jakob gasped. "That's..."

A man came walking out of the shadows. He was older, with grayish pink hair, a scar down the left side of his face, and wearing black armor, with a horse following behind him.

"Gunter!" Kamui yelled.

Gunter's eyes widened. "Kamui?! Corrin?!" Gunter exclaimed. "You're back, and well!"

"What happened to you?" Jakob asked. "We heard you fell in battle!"

"Ah, that." Gunter said. "As you know, I was sent by Garon to inspect the Bottomless Canyon, to see if there were any Hoshidans there. I only went to find Corrin and Kamui."

"Sorry we caused so much trouble..." Corrin said.

"Oh, it isn't a worry at all." Gunter said.

"But what happened?" Jakob asked.

"When we went to inspect the Bottomless Canyon, we actually found Hoshidans. But that idiot Hans decided to provoke them, and we had no choice but to fight. We were able to take the fort, but I was badly wounded. I had to retreat. When I was on the large bridge that connected to Nohr's side, Hans intercepted me and attacked me."

"What?!" Kamui exclaimed. "He was the one that was promoted to Garon's most trusted!"

"Taking me out was most likely the action that got him to that spot." Gunter said. "Garon has a grudge against me. After I became known as one of the best warriors in Nohr, Garon summoned me, and offered me dragons blood. But I refused, as taking that blood would mean I would have to dedicate everything to him, including my family. So I refused. I'd never seen a man so mad as he was... He burned down the village my family lived in, and killed all my friends and family."

"That's horrible..." Corrin said. "I'd never knew father... I mean, Garon was so heartless."

"But enough about that." Gunter said. "Where are we?"

"You are in Valla, a hidden kingdom that has fallen victim to a horrible ruler." Azura said. "I am Azura, princess of both Nohr and Valla."

"Azura!" Gunter said. "I must apologize. I was in charge of protecting you, yet I failed to save you from the pirate that kidnapped you."

"Do not worry about it, please." Azura said.

"Uh, Gunter..." Felicia said. "I should tell you something. You can't talk about this place outside of it. Otherwise, you'll disappear!"

"Is such a thing even possible?!" Gunter exclaimed.

"Yes, it is." Corrin said. "And there's more. The ruler of this land, Anankos, is the one causing this war between Nohr and Hoshido. The real Garon is dead. He is no more than a demon, using his corpse as a disguise, causing this world Anankos so wants. We must leave, and come back with both Nohr and Hoshido on our side. With both of them together, we would easily be able to defeat Anankos and his army of dead spirits."

"That won't be easy, given as how they seem to be at war right now." Gunter said. "But, nonetheless, I will join your cause.

"Thank you, Gunter." Kamui said. "You don't know how much this means."

"LEAVE." A voice said. "NOW." Three figures, nearly invisible, appeared in front of them, deeper in the cave.

"Not good!" Linkle said. "What are those?!"

""Those are our enemies!" Azura said. "We must go! Now!" She ran out of the cave, towards a large hole in the ground. "Quickly!" Azura yelled. "We jump in here, we appear back in the Bottomless Canyon." She jumped down, causing everyone else to follow her.

When everyone appeared back up on the Bottomless Canyon, Corrin was the first to speak. "All right." Corrin said. "That seemed to be a close call."

"What now?" Ruby asked.

"When day turns to night, and night turns to day, the passage will open or close." Azura said. "That is something my mother once told me."

"I see." Gunter said. "Every few decades, the times between Hoshido and Nohr change, right here on this spot. If I believe right, the next time this happens is in two weeks."

"Since we can access it now, it'll close in two weeks." Robin said.

"Then we have no time to waste." Kamui said. "We need to find the creator of the Yato in Notre Sagesse, and find its secret. Then, we must get Nohr and Hoshido at the Bottomless Canyon without killing each other."

"All in two weeks? That's easy!" Yang said in a sarcastic voice.

"What choice do we have?" Corrin asked.

"I don't think we have to worry too much about Nohr and Hoshido." Robin said. "I overheard Garon saying that in two weeks, they plan on taking control of the Bottomless Canyon, and is sending their best to take out any resistance. No doubt Hoshido knows about this to, due to spies, and whatnot. I'm saying that the best of the best from both sides will be here in two weeks."

"How do you know this?" Jakob asked suspiciously.

"I told you, I overheard Garon talking about it with his soldiers."

"But-"

"Enough, Jakob." Kamui said. "That's good to know, Robin. All right then, next stop, Notre Sagesse."

As they started heading southwest, they saw fire in the distance. "What is that?" Blake asked.

"Hold on." Tracer said. She blinked as far as she could handle far enough so she could see, and recalled back quickly. "That village's being attacked by monsters!" Tracer said. "I don't know if there are any survivors, but it couldn't hurt to look, and help out!"

"Right." Robin said. "Let's go!"

When they arrived, the village was in ruins. "No..." Reflet said. "We were too late."

"No, we're not!" Morgan said. "Look!" A girl was crying, with monsters slowly surrounding her.

"Those are Faceless." Gunter said. "They're soulless monsters created by Nohrian mages to attack Hoshido. To think they'd turn on a defenseless village..."

"We don't have time for this." Lucina said. "We need to save that girl!"

"Right!" Kamui said. "Let's go!"

"I'll go on ahead!" Tracer said.

"I'll join you!" Ruby said. Tracer blinked forward, and Ruby used her Semblance to run forward. Gunter galloped forward on his horse, and Corrin, Kamui, Robin, Reflet, Lucina, and Morgan turned into dragons and flew into the air. Linkle, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Azura, Felicia and Jakob were left in the back, to take care of any Faceless that attacked from behind.

"I'm...all alone..." The only survivor of the attack said. "My friends... My family... They're all... Mother..." She looked up with tears in her eyes. "The monsters... They're coming back... H-Help..."

"Don't worry, love!" Tracer yelled, blinking in front of the girl, and firing her guns at the surrounding Faceless. Ruby came in shortly after, swinging her scythe in a circle around her.

"Wh-Who are you?" The girl asked.

"We're here to rescue you!" Ruby yelled. "Now, stand back-"

"N-No!" The girl said, grabbing a splintered spear that laid near a dead body. "I-I'll fight. I have to! For my mother."

"Are you sure, love?" Tracer asked.

"Yes."

"All right, then." Ruby said. "Stay back, and hit when you can."

Soon, with the villager girl's help, they were able to take out all the Faceless. The girl looked out sadly to the destruction of her village. "My home... My friends and family..."

"I am so sorry." Kamui said, kneeling to the girl. "What's your name?"

"M-Mozu." The girl said.

"Well, Mozu, I don't know what to say." Corrin said. "But you seem to be a decent fighter. We're a group of heroes that are trying to stop the war between Hoshido and Nohr as quickly and peacefully as possible. If you join us, you can help us stop what happened here forever."

"I will!" Mozu said. "I don't have anywhere to return to, anyway."

"Great." Kamui said. "Welcome aboard. Let's get going to Notre Sagesse!"

* * *

"Hraevir." The voice said. "It has been a long time."

"Likewise, Anankos." Hraevir said, stepping out of the shadows, and to an empty throne. "I suppose you haven't changed much?"

"The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because you are second in command to Her."

"Please. Like you could beat me."

"Why did you come here? I don't like humans in my presence."

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think? You know I'm not human."

"Yet you're the striking image of one. Now, why are you here?!"

"Just a fair warning." Hraevir said. "It seems Garon has let some new recruits into his army. Do you know who one of those recruits are? Shulk, the seer."

"What?!" Anankos yelled. "Garon dared to let him in?! He can ruin everything!"

"Indeed he could." Hraevir said. "Well, I"d best be going."

"Were you not sent to help me?"

"Nope. It's up to you to decide what to do. Farewell." Hraevir disappeared in a flash of smoke.

Anankos growled. "Seer..."

* * *

"Father..." Xander said.

"Just like I told you." Shulk said. Shulk, Xander and Leo were all standing at the throne room, with Garon in front of them, holding his hands to the sky, with a crazed look on his face.

"Kill Hoshido..." Garon said in a daze. "Kill Nohr... No humans left! Hail Lord Anankos!"

"What are you talking about, father?!" Xander yelled. Garon ignored him.

"It's no use." Shulk said. "He's in a state of complete bewilderment."

Xander sighed. "I guess I can trust you now. I've already filled all the soldiers coming on the expedition in on the plan."

Leo also sighed. "I guess I have no choice but to trust you right now."

"Good." Shulk said. "We leave tomorrow."

"Kill...the seer..." Garon said.

"What?" Xander asked.

It was Shulk's turn to sigh. "It seems the enemy has already found out of our plan. We need to leave immediately. Get everyone ready."

"SHULK!" Garon yelled. He ran forward faster than any of the three expected with an ax out. Shulk reacted quickly and activated the Monado, catching the ax with the Monado.

"Go!" Shulk yelled. "Now!"

"Father, stop this!" Leo yelled.

"Kill... Kill...!" Garon yelled. He pushed Shulk away and reached his hand out to the two princes of Nohr. A strange sludge replaced his hand, and hit Xander and Leo with it, knocking them out of the door, surprising Elise and Camilla, who were eavesdropping on the whole thing.

"Xander! Leo!" Camilla yelled, running over with Elise. "Are you two all right?"

"Y-Yeah..." Xander said. He looked at horror at Garon, who was completely engulfed in that same strange sludge. Shulk was currently dueling with the demon, doing very well.

"Father...?" Elise asked. "Wh-What's wrong with him?"

"That's not our father, Elise." Leo said. "That's..."

"A demon." Xander said. "A demon who took over his corpse, and made us fight Hoshido. That demon brainwashed us, and caused tensions to rise between our kingdom and Hoshido."

"I don't believe it..." Camilla said.

"Go!" Shulk yelled, putting on the Speed and Buster auras at the same time. "Get everyone up, and get them out of here! I'll be right behind you!"

"All right..." Xander said, wiping off the sludge from his clothing. "I'm counting on you Shulk. Come on." The royal siblings turned and ran towards the barracks, getting everyone up.

"It seems I underestimated you." Garon said. "I must use my full power to take you out." Garon started glowing, and his body was morphing.

"Oh, f %k!" Shulk yelled, and made a run for it, putting on the Speed aura. Garon had transformed into a giant dragon.

"You can't escape the wrath of Anankos!" The dragon Garon yelled. "He gave me this body! I will wipe you out here and now!" Garon dashed after Shulk, shooting fire, all of which Shulk dodged. Shulk turned a corner, but Garon barged through a wall, cutting off Shulk. Shulk swung his Monado down, but didn't even make a scratch.

"Dammit." Shulk said. "Just as I thought." He ran even faster, catching up with the most elite of Nohr, who were all saddled up and ready to go.

"What the hell is that?!" A girl with blonde hair and an extremely daring outfit yelled.

"Go! Go!" Shulk yelled. "Get moving!"

"You can't escape!" Garon yelled. Shulk quickly put Jump on and jumped over Garon's attack, and onto his horse. He sped off with the rest of the group, with Garon tailing behind them.

"Mages and archers, shoot at that dragon!" Xander yelled. "Aim for its wings!"

"Got it!" Odin yelled. He aimed behind him and started shooting dark magic. Another man, Niles, aimed his bow at the left wing on Garon, and shot right through it. Another mage, Nyx, burned the other wing.

"Gah!" Garon yelled, falling on the ground.

"Quickly!" Xander yelled. "Go! Go! Go!" They all got away safely, leaving Nohr's capital behind them, none of them looking back.

"Damn you, Shulk." Garon said, returning to his human form, walking back to the castle. "Iago! Hans!"

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Iago asked.

"I need you to take as many troops as you need to Bottomless Canyon, as quickly as possible. You need to set a trap for Shulk and Xander's militia."

"I told you you shouldn't have trusted that seer." Iago said. Garon gave him an evil stare, causing Iago to gulp. "I-I retract that statement, Your Majesty."

"Good. Go, now! I am not patient right now. If you fail, both of you will be publicly executed. Do you understand?!"

"Yes, sir." Hans said smiling. "Looks like we'll finally get some action, huh?"

* * *

"Well?" Cloud asked as Ryoma came back from his trip to Cheve. "What did you find?"

Ryoma sighed. "Wow!" A girl with short blonde hair and blood red armor said. "So this is the Hoshido capital? Hi! I'm Scarlet. Pleased to meet you!" The girl held out her hand to Cloud, who shook it.

"The name's Cloud." Cloud said.

"Cloud? That's a strange name." Scarlet said, looking a little confused. "Well, anyway! Ryoma filled me in on the plan. When are we leaving?"

"Whenever you two are ready."

"We're ready right now." Ryoma said. "It seems your words are true, Cloud. I don't like it, but we'll follow your lead."

Cloud smiled. "Perfect. Get ready, we're leaving right now. I'll go tell the others."

Yukimura walked out past Cloud, towards Ryoma. "So we're really doing this?" Yukimura asked.

"Yes, we are." Ryoma said. "You and I both hate this war. If there's a chance for peace, even just a small one, I will gladly take it."

"Then, I'll follow your lead."

"I look forward to that."

Once everyone gathered outside the gate of the castle, Ryoma stood up. "You have all been handpicked for this mission. You know what's at stake. You know what we're risking. But, I wouldn't have picked you if I didn't feel you were ready for it. You are all the best of the best of Hoshido. Let's see that action as we head for the final battle!" He saddled onto his horse. "Onward!" He galloped forward, and everyone else followed.

* * *

"Here at last!" Ruby yelled, jumping off the boat and collapsing on the port.

"You don't have to yell that, Ruby." Morgan said, pulling up the hood on her cloak. "Remember, we have to draw as little attention to ourselves as possible here in Notre Sagesse. No doubt Nohr has wanted posters of us all around their territory."

"Oh, right." Ruby said, pulling up the hood on her cloak as well.

"We were lucky enough to even get a ship with little question." Robin said, jumping off the ship after his daughter. "Let's not blow our cover now."

"All right." Azura said. "First things first. We need to ask around town about the Rainbow Sage."

"The Rainbow Sage?" An old man said, walking across the port at the time.

"Uhm..." Azura said, hiding her face.

"Have you heard of him?" Corrin asked.

"Heard of him?" The old man laughed. "Boy, he's the reason many adventurers come to these parts! His shrine is high in that mountain. Though, be warned, if you go up there to meet him, you'll have to go through a set of trials to reach his room. I only know of three people who have passed that trial. Our king, Garon, the crown prince, Xander, and someone whose name remains a mystery. It's said that if you pass it, you gain a gift from the Sage himself."

"Only three people have ever passed?" Blake said. "Wow..."

"Up that mountain, you say?" Azura said. "Thank you, sir!" She bowed to the man.

"Oh, not a problem! Well, good luck!" The man walked into a nearby building, leaving the group alone.

"Well, that was quick." Weiss said.

"Yeah it was." Linkle said. "Up that mountain, right? That'll be easy!"

* * *

"My feet hurt..." Linkle complained, practically limping the rest of the way up the mountain.

"It is indeed a long hike." Weiss said, panting as well.

"We're almost there, though!" Morgan said. "I can see the building from here."

"Come on, Felicia." Jakob said. "We can't look like a disgrace in front of our masters."

"R-Right!" Felicia said, pulling herself up from the ground.

Eventually, they reached the front gate. "What now?" Lucina asked.

"I guess we knock." Corrin said. He reached to touch the door, but it opened up before he even had the chance to touch it. Corrin froze as the huge doors opened in front of him.

"Well, no point in wasting the day!" Ruby said, the first one to speak. She skipped inside, Morgan and Yang dashing after her, followed by the rest.

"Two sets of stairs..." Azura said.

"The old man did say that there were a set of trials we had to go through in order to reach the Rainbow Sage." Robin said. "We'll split up and pass each trial. Hopefully we'll meet up again in this building. Let's go!" Corrin, Azura, Felicia, Gunter, Robin, Lucina, Weiss, Blake and Linkle went to the left, while Kamui, Jakob, Reflet, Morgan, Ruby, Yang, Mozu and Tracer went to the right.

"Woah!" Tracer yelled, blinking away as a blast of magic came her way. She quickly pulled out her guns and shot a burst of bullets at the phantom that shot at her.

"How did I get pulled into this mess?" A phantom mumbled under his breath, holding a bow. He wasn't attacking anyone, though.

"Hiya!" Mozu yelled, side stepping and stabbing a phantom in the side, killing it. Only the man with the bow remained.

"Woah there!" The man said. "Hey, I'm no phantom."

"You aren't?" Reflet asked. "Then what are you doing here?"

"That's none of your business."

"So you came to rob him?" Mozu asked, jumping to conclusions.

The man eyes widened. "W-Well, I wouldn't say rob..."

"What's your name?" Kamui asked impatiently.

"Shura's the name." The man said.

"Well, Shura, you look to be a shady character, but we need help."

"Help?"

"My lady are you sure-" Jakob asked, but Kamui cut him off.

"You see, we'll soon be facing a larger than life enemy, and we need strong warriors. You've survived here this long on your own. That's more than enough for me to see you're capable. What do you say?"

"No thank you." Shura huffed. "I don't work well with others."

"That may be true." Reflet said. "However, it seems you can't do much now."

"It's either come with us, or stay here forever." Yang said, smiling evilly. "Face it, you need help."

Shura's eyes widened. "Why you bi-"

"She's right." Morgan said. "You can't go anywhere until you beat this trial. I bet it'll reset after this when we go through. That means you'll have to fight through this all over again."

Shura sighed. "All right, fine. You win." He gritted his teeth. "I can't believe I was found out by some girls..." He mumbled to himself.

Ruby smiled, completely oblivious to Shura's angry muttering. "All right! Let's go!" Everyone followed Ruby to the next room, with Reflet grabbing Shura by the ear, practically dragging him to the next room.

"Ow! Okay, okay. I got it, all right..." Shura mumbled.

Somehow, they all got through the trials that the Sage set up. The two groups finally met up, after many long and hard battles. Everyone was extremely tired. "Who's this?" Corrin asked, pointing to Shura.

"My name's Shura." Shura said. "Seems I'll be joining you for a bit."

"Hm..." Azura said, staring at Shura. Shura's eyes widened, recognizing Azura.

"Well, I say welcome aboard!" Linkle said, breaking the awkward silence.

"We do need strong warriors..." Lucina said. "I guess beggars can't be choosers. Welcome aboard."

"Uh, right..." Shura said. _It's her..._ Shura thought. _I thought I would never see Azura again. Guess she doesn't know I was the one who kidnapped her from Nohr, huh?_

"Either way, we have cleared all the trials." Corrin said. "Behind this door is the Rainbow Sage. We have no more time to waste."

"Let's get going!" Kamui yelled. Her brother and herself opened the door, and walked through first. Everyone followed soon after.

Immediately, they were in a small underground chamber. "Ah, I see you have succeeded in the trial." A voice said in the corner. The old man that told them about the Rainbow Sage stepped out of the shadows, shaking Corrin and Kamui's hands.

"It's you!" Azura gasped.

"Yes, yes." The man said. "I apologize for hiding my identity before. However, you did the same thing to me!"

"Then you're..." Corrin said.

"Indeed. I am the Rainbow Sage." The old man said. "I also know that you group of youngsters are the ones that both Hoshido and Nohr are hunting for."

"Wait..." Shura said. "You're Corrin and Kamui?!" He exclaimed.

"I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner." Weiss said rudely. Ruby nodded in agreement.

"Are you going to turn us in, Sage?" Morgan asked.

"Oh, no. Not at all!" The Rainbow Sage said. "Quite the opposite! Corrin, Kamui, if I may see your blades." Corrin and Kamui both handed their respective Yato to him. The sage sighed, and closed his eyes. "I who forged the sacred blade... I who comitted the great sin... I who wove the divine colors... I call on you now, Seal of Flames!" Both Yatos seemed to glow with an intense light, and they transformed.

"Woah!" Tracer yelled, covering her eyes.

"The Yatos..." Gunter said in awe.

"Yes..." The Rainbow Sage said, handing the now transformed Yatos back to Corrin and Kamui. "The Seal of Flames is now released."

"The Seal of Flames?" Kamui asked.

"Ah, yes..." The Rainbow Sage said. "It seems as if you have yet to learn about the true nature of this world. You see, long ago, I was once a dragon."

"You?!" Robin exclaimed.

The Rainbow Sage eyed him suspiciously. "Why yes, Lightning Dragon Shifter! Just like you, I was once a dragon, but became a human due to my sin. You see, I was the one who forged the Sacred Weapons of this world, including the Yato. I forged them during the first Dragon War, and gave them to humans. However, that caused eternal war between them, and I was cursed by the gods to live forever until I could repent of that sin."

"But why are there two?" Felicia asked. "Didn't you only make one?"

"Oh, yes. That." The Rainbow Sage cleared his throat. "It is true that I only made one. However, the Yato manifests itself to whoever is the one who would save this world from destruction. I did not expect that there would be two who would fit that criteria! Not to mention they would be twins!" The Rainbow Sage laughed to himself. "As the Yato could not decide on a single master, since both were meant to save the world, I made an exact copy of the Yato, right down to the hilt!"

"So you made another one for me?" Kamui asked.

"Well, not necessarily for you, but yes." The Rainbow Sage suddenly got serious. "But that's not the only reason..."

"What do you mean?" Corrin asked.

The Rainbow Sage looked at the twin siblings. "Answer me this, Water and Ice Dragon Shifters. Why do you think Anankos stays in Valla?" Everyone was taken aback as the Rainbow Sage said the names that could not be said anywhere but in Valla.

"Sage..." Lucina said.

"I-I don't know why...he stays there." Corrin admitted, trying not to say any of the names. For some reason, the Rainbow Sage was not being wiped from existence like the curse said they would.

"Anankos hides because he fears someone." The Rainbow Sage said. "Yes, even him, who is named the Dragon God, fears something else." He turned to Robin. "Lightning Dragon Shifter, I believe you know some of the legend of the Dragon Riders?"

"Y-Yes." Robin said.

"Good. Continue researching what they were. It is very important you do so." He then turned to all the other dragon shifters and riders. "As of now, you have six Dragon Shifters, and five Dragon Riders! Good for you! But be warned." Once again, the Rainbow Sage's face darkened. "You have great power. Soon, you'll find yourself face to face with the very thing that Anankos hid from. And it will hunt you too. But you are different that Anankos. With both humans and dragons, you may very well be able to beat him." Suddenly, the Rainbow Sage collapsed.

"Sage!" Azura yelled, running to the old man's side.

The Rainbow Sage coughed. "Ah, it seems I have repented of my sin... Robin, the Lightning Dragon Shifter, Lucina, the Wind Dragon Shifter, Reflet, the Dark Dragon Shifter, Morgan, the Fire Dragon Shifter, Corrin, the Water Dragon Shifter, Kamui, the Ice Dragon Shifter. How nice it is to see you all again..."

"Again?" Morgan asked, but her question was ignored.

The Rainbow Sage continued. "Ruby, the Summer Dragon Slayer, Weiss, the Winter Dragon Slayer, Blake, the Fall Dragon Slayer, Yang, the Spring Dragon Slayer, and Azura, the Water Dragon Slayer. You eleven that I have just named, you all have magic and abilities capable of killing some of the most feared creatures in history, dragons! You must use it on Anankos, to end the suffering of this world." The Rainbow Sage coughed. "It seems my time has come. I will say one more thing as a warning. Watch yourselves on your journey. You will run into the one that Anankos feared so much as to hide himself in Valla. Fear the name Acnologia."

"Acnologia?" Lucina asked.

"The Dragon King." The Rainbow Sage went into a fit of coughs, but he was smiling. "Goodbye, children. I'm glad I was able to help this world one last time. Now go! You don't have time to cry for me. My time should've come long ago. Leave! You're on a time limit!"

"Sage!" Azura yelled, but the old man was already fading from existence, the curse finally reaching him.

"He's gone." Reflet said.

"W-What was he talking about, Yang?" Ruby asked, shell-shocked.

"I don't know." Yang said.

"Acnologia..." Robin muttered to himself. "The Dragon King, Acnologia..."

Gunter cleared his throat. "I apologize. I know that was all a lot to take in, but we must hurry. The day after tomorrow is that fateful day."

"Right." Corrin said. "We don't have time to mourn." He held his hand out to Azura, who took it. "We need to hurry. Put on your cloaks. We'll be travelling with little rest for the next few days. Prepare yourselves."

"Just where are we going?" Shura asked.

"To the Bottomless Canyon." Robin said. "And we'll have reinforcements there."

* * *

"Hurry!" Shulk yelled. Their little militia was currently being tailed by Garon's forces, led by Hans. Iago was nowhere to be found, which Shulk found strange. His future sense still hasn't fully returned, which annoyed him. What happened to it when Cinder stole it from him?

"Shulk!" He heard Fiora yell to him as she galloped next to him. He shook his head. He couldn't focus on that now. They were almost to the Bottomless Canyon. Cloud was no doubt bringing Hoshido over, and he could only hope that Robin was able to get a decent troop of warriors with him.

"Just through this ravine, and we'll be there!" He yelled to the troops behind him. Dark Pit was in the air, trying to shoot some of their pursuers off their horses, but he couldn't do much. Their only way to their destination was through a narrow ravine.

"Where do you think you're going?" A voice came as their militia entered the ravine. A sizable portion of the Nohr army stood at the exit of the ravine. Just beyond them, Shulk could see the bridge and small piece of land that they were to meet up with Hoshido and Corrin and Kamui. He couldn't see if anybody was there.

"Dammit." Xander said. "Iago must've teleported them in front of us. That bastard never shows up on the front lines himself."

"I gotta admit, that Iago's a wimp, but he sure is smart." Hans said, catching up to the rebels, a crude smile on his face.

Shulk jumped off his horse, looking up at the sky. The sky was split evenly from light to dark. They were running out of time. "We don't have a choice. We need to take them out quickly." He pulled out his Monado. "Hurry, everyone! We don't have much time!"

"Hans." Xander growled, turning his steed to the once fugitive. Leo galloped to his back, protecting him from any other attacks. "Ever since I met you, I wanted to cut your head off. I guess now you've given me that chance."

"Let's cut the chit-chat, once prince of Nohr. It's my job to kill all of you for treason against the kingdom of Nohr. I don't think Garon minds me killing his wittle children." Hans teased. Xander grit his teeth in annoyance.

"Who should I start with?" Hans asked. He caught sight of Elise, healing everyone in the back, being protected by her two loyal retainers, Arthur and Effie. "Oh, how about the little one?" Hans said, smiling crudely.

"Don't you dare touch Elise!" Camilla said, landing next to Xander. Her, Xander, and Leo all pulled out their weapons at Hans.

"Oh, I'm so scared now!" Hans said sarcastically. "In case you didn't notice, you are vastly outnumbered!"

Xander swore under his breath. Garon really wanted them dead. The army that he sent was four times their size. That meant four against one. Some of their soldiers couldn't even fight, like Elise. Sure, they were all very strong, but even the strongest couldn't do much with enemies on every side. Their only hope was Shulk, who was mowing through enemies left and right, dodging every move. Even then, he couldn't be everywhere at once. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the child sorcerer, Nyx, fall down, surrounded by enemies, her side bleeding. He again cursed.

He pointed Siegfried at Hans. "Even if we are outnumbered, that doesn't mean my troops will give up that easily! We have somewhere to be, so if I have to kill you to get there, then I will not hold back!"

"I am with you, brother!" Leo yelled. He shot magic at Hans, who rolled out of the way, and brought his axe up to block Camilla's strike from the air, leaving him open to a thrust from Xander. However, a soldier came in and took the hit for Hans, letting Hans push away Camilla, and swung at Xander, who blocked, surprised at just how much strength Hans had. Him and Camilla retreated back to Leo.

Hans laughed. "You didn't think that His Majesty would send me after the children he trained himself without some extra power?!" He lifted up his arm, revealing an emblem on the back of his hand. The mark of the Dusk Dragon. "I have the power of a dragon now!"

"This is looking grim, Xander." Leo said. Arthur and Effie were quickly getting overwhelmed, causing Jaune and Pyrrha to run over and help protect Elise even more as she frantically tried to heal everyone, pulling out a new staff, as her old one quickly broke.

"Gah!" Shulk yelled, finally getting cut in the arm. He swung his Monado, and Dark Pit flew in quickly and picked up Shulk from the large force overtaking him. Dark Pit dropped Shulk off next to Fiora, and the two stood back to back, fighting off the wave of enemies.

Xander closed his eyes, trying to think about just what to do.

"Xander!" He heard a voice yelled behind Hans' army. A very familiar voice to him. His head perked up, eyes open in disbelief.

"K-Kamui?!" He exclaimed. And that was when the tide of battle quickly turned to their favor. Soldiers in the back went flying left and right, and from behind Hans, six dragons came barging through, five of which had riders firing magic and weapons at the soldiers. The dragons blew different forms of elemental breath at soldiers, quickly wiping them out.

"Sorry we're late!" Ruby yelled cheerfully, swinging her scythe around, and jumping off of Morgan's back, who transformed back into a human and jumped over Hans, and next to Shulk.

"Ruby!" Jaune yelled. "Good to see you!"

Robin jumped over to Shulk and Fiora with Lucina, the both of them letting Blake and Yang off their backs, and transforming back into humans. "We're here." Robin said.

Shulk smiled. "Good to see you again, Robin."

Lucina pulled out a sword, and used wind magic to pull in an archer, stabbing the soldier in the gut. "Is everyone still alive?" She asked.

"Yep." Fiora said.

Kamui let Weiss off of her back and transformed into a human, while Azura and Corrin joined her next to Xander, Camilla, and Leo.

"I'm so, so sorry, Xander." Kamui said, swinging at a soldier who foolishly charged the royal children. "I hope you'll be able to forgive us, eventually."

"Oh, of course we'll forgive you!" Camilla said, practically pulling herself back from smothering her two siblings.

"I...guess you were doing the right thing." Leo said.

Xander sighed. "Normally, I would have to take you in on charges against Nohr, but..." Xander smiled. "I guess you and I are in the same predicament now, huh?"

A stunned Hans finally snapped out of his shock at the sudden reinforcements. "Bah!" Was all he yelled. He charged forward, but Corrin and Kamui brought up their blades in an x shape, catching the ax. Azura jumped back, ready to help whenever possible. Xander quickly charged in, stabbing Hans side. Hans yelled in pain, and eventually overpowered Corrin and Kamui. They jumped to the sides of him, leaving an opening for Camilla, who dashed in on her wyvern, slicing open Hans' chest plate. Leo wasted no time, and shot magic at Hans' feet, knocking him into the air.

"Now, Azura!" Corrin yelled.

"Right!" Azura yelled. Ever since the Rainbow Sage called her the Water Dragon Slayer, she and Corrin figured out just what she could do. Azura isn't confident in her own power, but it should be enough to finish off Hans. "Roar of the Water Dragon!" Azura yelled, water billowing from her mouth in a torrent, hitting Hans with such force it ripped whatever armor he had left on him off of him.

"Gah!" Hans yelled, being swept away by the water, as well as many other soldiers.

"Corrin." Xander said. "Isn't that...?"

"Yep." Corrin said, smiling widely. "That's Azura!"

"...She's grown." Xander said, a slight smile on his face. "She was so shy when I knew her during her brief time at Nohr. Glad to see her strength has been unleashed."

"D-Damn you..." Hans muttered, shaking as he stood up. "DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!" Those were Hans' final words, as he fell to the ground with a thud, his eyes rolled back into his head.

"C-C-Captain!" A soldier yelled. "The captain b-been defeated!"

"Anyone else?!" Yang taunted, punching her fists together. What was left of the army was now retreating back to Nohr. A cheer from the winning side could be heard from the other side of the canyon.

"My lord!" Laslow yelled to Xander. "Are you unharmed?"

"I'm fine, Laslow. Thank you." Xander said.

"I am fine as well, Selena." Camilla said to the red head running next to Laslow.

"Thank the gods..." Selena muttered.

"Oh, Leo, my great lord!" Odin said, being over dramatic as always. "I surely wished I could be at your side during this perilous fight, but alas-"

"Odin!" Leo yelled. "That's enough. You did well." Selena walked over and punched Odin in the arm.

Morgan gasped. "Hey, I-" Robin quickly put a hand over Morgan's mouth.

"Relax." Robin said. "Don't blow their cover." He winked at his daughter, who turned to Laslow. Laslow winked at the girl, still a flirt like always.

"Well then." Shulk said. "We now have most of our might here for the final battle."

"Wait." Corrin said. "You guys know?"

Xander nodded. "Shulk here told us about this 'hidden enemy', and that we needed both you and Hoshido's help to beat him. It took him a while, but eventually he convinced me of Garon's evil deeds."

"But-" Kamui started.

"We're sorry, Corrin, Kamui." Robin said. "This was all a plan set up by Shulk, Cloud and I. We knew of the dangers that would come, and we informed everyone but you two about the plan. Surprisingly, everyone was on board with it." Corrin and Kamui looked around at all their friends who were part of the Skywind. Each one of them were wearing knowing smiles. "We were afraid that if we explained the plan to you, you two would fall away and ruin what needed to be done. We are truly sorry." He bowed to the twins. Shulk did as well.

"So you all pretended to be enemies, actually fought each other, and killed others, just so you could bring warring countries together?" Corrin said.

"Pretty much." Shulk said. "I hope you'll have room in your hearts to forgive us later, but we have one more thing we need to do. Iago is attacking Hoshido's forces."

"What?!" Leo exclaimed. "That slime ball!"

"Come on!" Xander yelled, pulling his horse toward the other side of the Bottomless Canyon. "We need to get going!"

Corrin was surprised. He never expected Xander to be the one to lead the charge to save Hoshido. "Come on, Corrin!" Azura said, taking his hand, kicking him out of his trance.

"R-Right!" Corrin said. He transformed into a dragon and let Kamui get on. He took off into the air, heading to the flaming fields, where he could hear the sounds of battle.

* * *

"Ah!" Sakura yelled, falling on her back as a Nohrian general swung at her.

"Sakura!" Hinoka yelled, swooping in, killing the general, and helping the girl to her feet.

"Th-Thank you!" Sakura said. "I'm so sorry!"

"Sorry, my lady!" Subaki yelled, swooping downward as well. "I was distracted!"

"I'm sorry too, Sakura!" Hana said. "As a samurai, I should've been there to protect you!"

"N-No, it's all right..." Sakura said.

"Damn Nohrians." Ryoma said, Going side to side with Cloud, Takumi behind them, giving cover fire. "I thought you said they would become our allies, Cloud."

"Are you referring to the crown prince and his troops?" The sorcerer that was in charge asked. "They're already being dealt with by my partner."

"Killing your own comrades?!" Cloud exclaimed.

"Oh, they aren't comrades. They've betrayed the kingdom! King Garon has ordered their execution. I'm just taking the time to take care of another thorn in Nohr's side."

"You little..." Ryoma said. He charged forward, swinging his Raijinto, but the sorcerer teleported behind him, and blasted him with magic.

"Ryoma!" Cloud yelled. He dashed forward, but stopped quickly, just barely bringing up his sword as the sorcerer blasted him with magic as well.

The sorcerer laughed. "Fools! King Garon has blessed me with power beyond your understanding!" He held up his right hand, revealing an emblem on the back of it. "The power of dragons flows through me! You cannot defeat me!"

Screams came from behind their battle. "What?" The sorcerer asked.

"General Iago!" A soldier yelled, practically breathless. "Th-The traitors! Th-They're here!"

"Shulk." Cloud smirked. "I knew he would pull through."

The screams got closer and closer. "Continue the charge!" A commanding voice came. The first one to break through to the Hoshidans was the crown prince of Nohr himself, Xander. Following him were the other royal siblings of Nohr, Shulk, and six dragons, five of which had riders. The riders got off the dragons, and they all transformed into humans. Corrin and Kamui were the two in the lead. Ryoma's eyes widened in shock seeing the twins with Nohr.

"Cloud!" Robin yelled, running towards the boy with the spiked hair. "Sorry we're late."

"C-Corrin...!" Sakura said, acting excited, but shy at the same time.

"Hoshido!" Xander yelled. "We are not your enemies! We are here to help! We have seen the terrors of our country, and have decided to betray our country and help you in the quest to end this war forever!"

"That's right!" Tifa yelled from within the soldiers. "They are now our friends!"

"Damn you!" Iago yelled, blasting magic at the crown prince of Nohr from afar. Xander couldn't react in time, but Ryoma did. He sliced the magic in half with Raijinto, catching Xander off guard.

Ryoma turned to Xander. "Crown Prince of Nohr... No, Xander." Ryoma held out his hand. "I wish to make it official of our alliance."

Xander put on a painful smile. "I was hoping I would be the one to make the first move, to show that we truly have changed from Nohr."

Ryoma chuckled. "Only time will tell, Xander."

"Indeed...Ryoma." Xander turned his attention to Iago. "But first we have this bastard to deal with."

"Y-You... You..." Iago was at a complete loss of words.

"Oh!" Ruby yelled. "Can I try what Azura did? Can I? Can I?"

"Who's stopping you?!" Morgan said.

"D-Damn you all!" Was all Iago could say. "I knew I shouldn't have left Hans in charge of the Nohrian traitors." Before he could move, however, two arrows came from behind the Nohrian lines, belonging to Niles and Shura. They pinned his cape to the ground. Takumi fired his Fujin Yumi at Iago, barely penetrating his skin, but hurting Iago nonetheless. All Iago could do was stare in fear.

"Roar of the Summer Dragon!" Ruby yelled, a blast of pure yellow fire coming from her mouth, engulfing Iago. Iago didn't even scream. His body fell to the ground, not even a twitch coming from the slime ball of a sorcerer.

There was stunned silence from all around. "R-Retreat!" A soldier yelled. Every single one of the remaining soldiers ran, following the previous group that fled. No one bothered to attack the shell of the army that was left as they retreated.

The once enemies stared at each other, neither side knowing what to do. Eventually, Corrin sighed. "Well, I suppose we should show you all just what the hell is going on, huh?"

* * *

 **A/N: Surprise! This'll be a three part story! By the way, I hinted at a chapter that might be coming in the near future, who knows? I tend to do that a bit in my chapters, so keep your eyes open. This one was a bit in your face, but as the story progresses, you'll see why. I would still love reviews from all of you, especially about how you would want to see some things go in my next few chapters. Please, just let me know what franchises you want to see in this story, and how I should implement them. I might also do a story about the children. You know, the next generation. I'm not entirely sure, but if you want me to do one, please let me know! Anyway, this is Uniblades, signing off for now!**


	9. XenoWorlds: Branches of Fate Part 3

"Okay!" Corrin said, as everyone gathered on the bridge above the Bottomless Canyon. "So I guess you've all been informed of what is going on. Some unknown force I cannot talk about is pulling the strings of this war. I wanted the best of the best of both sides to help, and that's what I got." He sighed. "I know that what I'm about to ask you is going to be very hard for some of you, but... I need you to jump off the bridge, into the Bottomless Canyon." There was silence, which surprised Corrin. He expected a few whispers in the small army they've gathered. "I know what I'm asking seems like suicide. I understand is some of you will leave now..."

"Corrin." He heard Cloud speak up. "Nobody's going anywhere."

"What?"

"He's right." Ryoma spoke up. "I've been thinking to myself, and I wondered how Cloud convinced me to come here. How he convinced us. Then I figured it out. It's because I held faith that both you and Kamui knew what you were doing. That you couldn't have betrayed us."

"I agree with Ryoma." Xander said. "We have been convinced of your trustworthiness. All of us. No matter what path you take, we will follow you to the end." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Well, we're running out of time." Robin said. "Are we going or not?"

"Yeah, we are!" Ruby yelled. "See you guys down there!" Her, Morgan, and Yang jumped off the cliff together, followed by everyone else from the Skywind.

"Well, I guess I'll take the first step here." Leo said, jumping off the cliff, smirking at Takumi.

"Oh, no way am I letting that guy show me up!" Takumi yelled, diving off after Leo. Soon, everyone were off the bridge, into the Canyon, except for Corrin, Kamui, Azura, and Scarlet.

"I guess we'll get going." Corrin said, grabbing Azura's hand. "Don't take too long." With that, the two of them jumped off together.

Kamui noticed Scarlet putting a flower on her breastplate. "What's that?" Kamui asked.

"Oh, this?" Scarlet asked. "It's a custom among knights in Cheve. Whenever one faces some monumental event, it's tradition to pin on a flower." Scarlet sighed. "You know, you and Corrin are pretty special, bringing enemies together, especially considering they're in a middle of a long and bloody war."

"Oh, we didn't do that." Kamui said. "The two sides came together because of a plan I didn't even know about."

"Please. You didn't do anything? The only reason they joined together was because they love and trust you two. Both sides! If that wasn't true, then Shulk's plan wouldn't have worked in the first place!"

"But-"

"Nuh-uh!" Scarlet covered Kamui's mouth, stopping her from denying her involvement. "No more complaints from you! Come on, let's get down. Ryoma and the others are waiting!" Then Scarlet jumped off the bridge, Kamui following close behind.

Everything was going smoothly, much to Kamui's relief. However, a booming voice echoed across the canyon, causing Kamui to tighten up. "I AM THE FORGOTTEN DRAGON, THE BETRAYED KING, THE ENTOMBED GOD." Kamui looked around in a panic, seeing a shadowy figure soaring right next to her.

"W-What are you?!" Kamui exclaimed.

A black energy was being focused in the figure's hand. "IN THE NAME OF THE KING OF VALLA, I SENTENCE YOU TO DEATH!" The blast of energy hit Kamui, knocking her into one of the rocks jutting out of the canyon.

"Gah!" Kamui yelled, hitting the back of her head, blood staining her white hair. "Dammit! Who is that?! That didn't happen before!"

"Kamui!" Scarlet yelled, slowing her descent to catch up with the princess. "Watch out!" The figure was charging up another attack, ready to finish Kamui off. In the few seconds between Scarlet's warning and the attack from the figure, Scarlet grabbed Kamui and pulled her behind herself, taking the attack head on.

"Scarlet!" Kamui yelled, feeling Scarlet's body tense up, then suddenly go limp. The flower that was on Scarlet's breastplate fell off, and tumbled down, turning to ashes as it fell. Kamui only had time to register that before she blacked out.

* * *

When Kamui came to, she saw Scarlet's limp corpse lying in front of her. "S-Scarlet? Scarlet?!" Kamui yelled, ignoring the large wound in the back of her head and rushing over to Scarlet. "Hey, you can't die. We just started! What about Ryoma, huh?! Are you just going to leave him! Scarlet!" Kamui did everything she could, but no matter what she tried, Scarlet was dead, and she wasn't coming back.

"Dammit all." Kamui said, trying to fight back tears. If she cried now, she knew she wouldn't be ready for the battle ahead. She would have to get used to the idea of losing comrades.

"Kamui!" She heard her twin yell.

"Corrin!" Kamui yelled back. "Over here!"

"Oh, thank goodness." Corrin said. "When you didn't come back, I thought..." Corrin's eyes widened as he saw the dead body of Scarlet laying behind Kamui. "No..."

Kamui couldn't stop her tears this time. She ran into her brother's chest. "What am I going to say?! H-How am I supposed to explain this to everybody... To Ryoma?!"

Corrin grabbed Kamui's shoulders and pulled her away, making her look him in the eyes. "Don't worry about that. We will cross that road when we get there. Now, everyone's waiting in the Deeprealm. We'll take Scarlet with us, and figure out what to do then. All right?"

Kamui sniffed, trying to look tough. "All right." Kamui turned around to pick up Scarlet's body. That was when Corrin noticed the gash on the back of her head, and the blood still flowing.

"No!" Corrin said suddenly. Kamui turned around, confused. "I mean... That's a pretty big wound in the back of your head. You'll probably pass out from blood loss soon..."

"Oh, that." Kamui said, feeling the pain from the wound now that her attention was on it.

"Master Corrin! Lady Kamui!" The two heard their retainer, Gunter calling.

"Gunter! Perfect timing!" Corrin said. "I need you to carry Kamui back to the Deeprealm. She has suffered a critical wound. We need it taken care of as fast as possible. Carry her back on your horse, got it?"

"Understood." Gunter said. Kamui limply and dizzily walked over to Gunter, who grabbed her arm and laid her across the back of his horse, going at a slow trot so as to let Kamui rest. Maybe it was Corrin's imagination, but he thought he saw a look of disappointment and anger in Gunter's eyes.

"To think, Scarlet was murdered..." Gunter said, talking to Kamui, who was still conscious. "The sight of her with that flower pinned to her chest, just before the jump... Seeing her laying like that, now..." Gunter didn't finish the sentence, and galloped quickly away.

Corrin pushed the thought aside, turning to Scarlet. He sighed. "We haven't even begun the operation yet..." He muttered to himself. Even while talking to Kamui, he felt pain as he saw Scarlet's body behind his sister. He felt like he should've done something as the leader of this operation. Her death was his fault. Still thinking these negative thoughts, he grabbed Scarlet's body and carried her with respect to their camp.

* * *

"Corrin!" Azura, who was waiting anxiously for Corrin to come back, yelled. She saw the boy, but...he was carrying something. It looked like a body. Her happiness quickly turned to concern, and then shock, while Corrin didn't say anything. "Oh no..." Was all Azura could say.

"Corrin!" Corrin flinched as he heard Ryoma call his name, running towards him, Xander following close behind. Ryoma stopped suddenly as he saw what Corrin was carrying. Corrin was looking at the ground, his face dark and hidden.

"I am so sorry, Ryoma." Corrin said. "Kamui... She and Scarlet were the last ones off. They were attacked, and you saw what happened to Kamui... From what I could tell, Scarlet-"

"Stop." Ryoma said. Corrin looked up, surprised to see his brother trying to fight tears. "She died protecting her commander. I'm sure she had no regrets." Ryoma's face darkened. "...May I see her body?"

Corrin nodded, handing Scarlet over to Ryoma, who walked away, toward the center of the small Deeprealm they were in.

"Already, we have lost someone..." Xander said. "It's not looking good."

"How's Kamui?" Corrin asked.

"She's doing okay. She's asleep right now." Azura said. "Elise and Sakura, along with Sharla and Aerith, were quick to act. Sharla said if they had gotten there any later, Kamui would've died. In that sense, we were fortunate enough to only lose one person..."

"This can't be good on all the soldiers..." Corrin said. "No doubt some of them are losing confidence in this plan."

"That may be." Xander said. "But remember. War isn't pretty. People will die. It is up to the commander to move past those who died and look to the future, and help everyone else do the same."

"I'm not sure I'm cut out for this, Xander..."

"...I can't say that you are. I went through the exact same feelings when I lost my first few soldiers under my command. It was then I learned what I just taught you. In the morning, you can tell everyone what exactly happened, and do your best to build confidence in them. I'll go check on Ryoma for you. You just get some rest." Xander left, looking for Ryoma, much to Azura's surprise.

"To think the two crown princes, sworn enemies only a few weeks ago, became like best friends in less than 24 hours." Azura said.

"Hmm." Corrin said, still looking down to the ground.

Azura sighed, and grabbed his hand. "Come on. Let's go check on your sister." She pulled a moping Corrin to the infirmary, where Kamui lay asleep, a bandage wrapped all around her head, and Elise and Sakura talking about random things.

Elise smiled as she saw Corrin and Azura walk into the infirmary. "Corrin! Azura! Yay!" She ran and gave Corrin a huge hug, making him smile, even though he didn't want to.

"U-Um, hi, C-Corrin." Sakura said, still as shy as ever.

"Oh, come on!" Elise said, grabbing Sakura's hand and pulling her over to their shared siblings. "Why are you so shy?! They don't hate you, do they?" The only thing Sakura did was smile shyly.

"How's Kamui?" Corrin asked again, this time directed to his younger sisters.

"She's doing good." Sakura said with a bit more confidence. "Though Elise and I didn't do much..."

"Sharla and Aerith are so good!" Elise said. "They knew exactly what to do when they first saw Kamui! We really need to take classes from them, Sakura!"

"Y-Yes!" Sakura agreed.

Azura smiled. "Seems you two are becoming good friends."

"Yep!" Elise said, smiling happily. "I'm glad I met Sakura!"

"M-Me too! I'm glad I met Elise." Sakura said.

"Well, we better get going." Azura said. "You two better get to bed as well. Tomorrow, we're going on a long trip, so you better get some sleep. We'll need your skills. Good night!"

"Good night!" Elise said, as Azura pulled Corrin to their tent.

"See?" Azura said. "It payed off in the end. Look at how everyone seems to be getting along!"

"Yeah." Corrin said, a slight smile crossing his face. "Though I'm worried about Leo and Takumi. With their thick heads, it'll be a miracle for them to think past their own pride. Maybe we should just leave the two alone in the middle of the night, together? With their similar personalities, they would make a cute couple, don't you think?"

Azura laughed, and Corrin smiled even more. "Come on, Corrin." Azura said. "We got a big day tomorrow. And we need you more than anyone."

* * *

"Hey, Lilith." Shulk asked. Him, Robin, and Cloud were all in Lilith's shrine, Shulk insisting on getting some answers about Deeprealms. "I have a few questions about Deeprealms. Do you mind if I ask you?"

"Uh, sure, I guess." Lilith said.

"All right." Shulk said.

Robin yawned. "Why did you bring us with you, exactly?"

"You'll see." Shulk said. "OK, Lilith. First, can a Deeprealm be used as a mode of transportation?"

"No. Once you enter a Deeprealm, when you leave, you'll be right back to where you entered the Deeprealm from the real world."

"OK... Second, are you able to create Deeprealms? That ball you're holding... That's a Deeprealm in and of itself, is it not?"

Lilith looked surprised. "Yes, it is a Deeprealm! It's actually the one we're in right now. I created this one, so yes, I can create Deeprealms, though rather plain ones."

"All right. Third, can you make multiple portals to the same Deeprealm? Meaning if I made one in both Hoshido and Nohr that connected to this Deeprealm, would they exist at the same time?"

"That's true, in theory."

Shulk smiled. "How long do these portals to these Deeprealms stay open?"

"Until the user closes them at will."

"And anyone can enter these portals?"

"If they can find them, yes."

"How many portals can be opened up to the same Deeprealm at a time?"

"An infinite amount, though there has never really been a need for that."

"That's great." Cloud said. "Now we have more information that we don't even need!"

"Are you sure about that?" Shulk asked. "Lilith, if you made a Deeprealm, and if we can create infinite portals connecting to this Deeprealm, would we be able to instantly travel around the globe?"

Lilith's eyes widened. "I... I'd never heard of Deeprealms being used like that..."

Robin's eyes widened as well. "Ah, I see!"

"What?" Cloud asked, his eyes drooping.

"Say Lilith makes a new Deeprealm. It doesn't matter how it looks. Then, we create a portal to it in Hoshido. Then, if we travel back to, say, Remnant, and make a portal to the same Deeprealm there, we could walk through that portal, walk only a short distance from one point of the Deeprealm to the other, and walk through the other portal, and end up in Hoshido."

"Meaning we can create a grid of Deeprealm portals all around the world that link to one Deeprealm, and be able to instantly travel from one place to another." Shulk said.

Cloud's eyes widened, finally getting it. "So if we were ever needed to help fight something in another country that was far away from us, we could just take a trip through the Deeprealm and end up there in an instant?!"

"Yep!" Robin said. "Just add a bit of direction to tell what portal leads where, and we have insta-travel! Not only could we use it, but everyone in the world could, leading to people mixing and learning about the new world. Good thinking, Shulk!"

Shulk smiled. "If we were able to do this, it would mean the world would be united not just figuratively, but literally too."

"That's...That's..." Lilith said, her mind blown. "That's an amazing idea! If we could do this, we would change the whole world!"

"Guess we have a new goal, huh?" Cloud said. He yawned. "Well, that's great and all, but currently we have another goal; Stop Anankos. And besides, we wouldn't be able to put this idea to use until we find the Skywind."

"Oh, that's right!" Shulk said. "I completely forgot... By the way, we need a name for ourselves. I don't know what, though..."

"Who cares?!" Cloud said. "Let's just go to bed!" Cloud left in a hurry, joining his comrades in his tent.

"Hey, Shulk..." Robin said. "I know you're seer powers haven't completely returned yet, but... Do you have any visions about a dragon named Acnologia?"

"Acnologia?" Shulk said. He closed his eyes. "No, I don't. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason." Robin lied. "Just something an old man was muttering about that caught my attention. Good night."

"Good night." Shulk said. Robin walked over to his tent, climbing into the sheets next to Lucina, all with Acnologia on his mind.

"Robin?" He heard Lucina whisper next to him.

"Yes, Lucina?" Robin said.

"...I don't know why, but I feel strange. I feel scared. Do you feel that way to?"

"I'm pretty sure everyone here is feeling that way. It's probably nerves, and the anxiousness of facing an unstoppable foe."

"No, it's not that... I'm feeling pulled to someone. To something. I can't quite put that feeling aside."

"Let's go to bed, Lucina." Robin said, kissing his wife on her forehead. "When the morning comes, we'll figure it out together."

"...All right. Good night."

"Good night." Truthfully, Robin was feeling exactly the same way, and even though Reflet didn't say anything, she felt the same strange feeling as she lay awake, listening quietly to the two talk.

* * *

"OK, listen up!" Corrin yelled as morning came in the Deeprealm. Everyone had already packed their stuff, and were ready to get going on their journey through Valla. Kamui and Azura were standing at the top of the Deeprealm with Corrin. "We're going to explain everything to you now. Afterwards, we'll head to our objective, understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Came the unified cry. Kamui was surprised. _Have they not heard about Scarlet?_ She thought. Then she looked at everyone's faces while everything was being explained to them. Saw their stress, anxiety, and nervousness. But they were still going forward. _So... Is this normal to them? Losing someone right before the battle? No, that's not it... They know of the dangers ahead, but are still going to face them. Why?_

"They all want to protect the things they love." Corrin said next to her, almost reading her mind. "Everyone has something they want to protect. And everyone here has skills we can use. They want to be as useful as possible. That's why they aren't running away." Kamui looked down on everyone in a new light, smiling as she saw the determination in their faces she couldn't before.

Soon, Azura explained the whole thing to them, about Anankos, Valla, the curse, and how they came to know of it. Even about her past, where she was a princess of Valla who ran away with her mother when she was very little. Her mother then married Garon, and became the queen of Nohr. However, she couldn't keep all the secrets of Valla to herself, and told Azura, causing her to ultimately die from the curse.

"So that's what happened to Arete..." Xander said. He raised his voice. "I am deeply sorry for your suffering, Azura. It must've been hard to keep this all to yourself up until now."

"Please, don't bother yourself with me." Azura said. "Now then. We must get going."

"We're moving out, everyone!" Kamui yelled. "Time to take care of Anankos once and for all!"

"I checked outside a while ago." Morgan said. "It's all clear!"

"Perfect." Corrin said. "Everyone out!"

* * *

"So... Where to now?" Shura asked.

"Um..." Azura said, studying the landscape they were in. "North. The castle is about as far north as you can go in Valla, and we seem to be in the southern forest about now. It's hard to miss the castle, so keep your eyes open."

"Got it." Corrin said. "Everyone, follow me. Keep yourselves hidden. We want to attract as little attention to ourselves as possible."

As they walked, everyone made small talk among themselves. "So you're a dragon?" Tifa asked Yang, after Yang explained about the Rainbow Sage calling them Dragon Slayers.

"No, I'm not a dragon." Yang said. "But I have the strength of a dragon. Anything Robin can do, aside from turning into a dragon, I can do!"

"So you two are partners?"

"Well, we're two who make up a dragon rider pair. So, yes, we're connected in a way. Ruby and Morgan, Lucina and Blake, Kamui and Weiss, and Corrin and Azura are all connected in the same way too."

"Interesting." Tifa said. "Say, it's been a while since we've sparred together."

"You're right, it has been a while!"

"After we're done with this, and back on our journey, how about we go a round or two?"

"Oh, you're on, Tifa!" Yang said.

Cloud smiled as he overheard the two girls' conversation. "You lllllllove Tifa, don't you, Cloud?" He heard a voice say next to him. It was Ruby, with Morgan next to her, smiling sadistically.

"Wh-What?! No!" Cloud said, a slight blush coming on his face.

"Uh-huh, sure..." Morgan said, catching Cloud's blush. "If you say so... Come on, Ruby."

"Is your head feeling better?" Corrin asked his sister. All of the royal siblings were walking in the front, leading the charge.

"Yeah, thanks to Elise and Sakura." Kamui said, her wound almost completely healed, and the bandage off her head. She rubbed the two girls heads affectionately, causing Elise to giggle, and Sakura to blush.

"You had us worried, Kamui dear!" Camilla said, a concerned, motherly look on her face.

"She's right." Hinoka said. "Don't scare us like that again, got it?"

"All right, I got it..." Kamui said.

It was quiet for a moment, until Takumi spoke up. "So, why did you betray your king, Nohrians?"

"Hey, Takumi!" Corrin scolded.

"No, it's fine." Leo said. "If this incompetent Hoshidan wants to know, we'll let him."

"Please, Leo." Xander said. "Takumi is just like you. In fact, I'd say you two'd be good friends if you gave each other the chance."

"As if!" Leo and Takumi said together.

Xander smiled. But his face quickly grew dark. "We...learned that the man we were calling father has actually been dead for a long time now."

"Garon's dead?" Ryoma asked. "But that doesn't make much sense..."

"A demon who is completely loyal to Anankos took control over his body, and used Nohr's might against Hoshido, so as the two would wipe each other out."

"Then Anankos could come up and take control with little resistance." Ryoma said. "That's a good plan. If we knew about Anankos any sooner, we probably would've joined forces like this and take him out."

"That's not the only reason he stays hidden." Corrin said. "When we went to see the Rainbow Sage, the old man said that Anankos was hiding from something. Acnologia, the Dragon King."

"If even Anankos is scared of Acnologia then..." Azura started, but stopped.

"If we ever have to face that Acnologia, it might be a battle that we couldn't win." Kamui said. The royal siblings went quiet after that.

"Oh, we're here." Azura said, seeing the end of the forest. As they exited the forest, ahead of them was a huge floating island, and on that island, a huge castle.

"You're right." Takumi said. "It is hard to miss."

"Oh baby!" They heard Cid yell in the back. "There it is!" Cid, Shulk and Robin dashed down the path.

"What?" Corrin asked, but stopped as he saw it. The Skywind, a bit busted up, but still intact, was laying on its side a half mile from where they were standing.

"The Skywind..." Kamui said, shocked. "So it survived..."

"Is that where you lived while you were gone?" Xander asked.

"Yep." Corrin said. "It's like a floating fortress, when it's working."

"Cid, check to see just how much damage the Skywind has taken." Shulk said to Cid as they reached the ship. "Robin, you and I will check the ship for anything out of place."

"Got it, sir!" Cid said, heading to the engine room.

"Robin, you head to our storage area." Shulk said. "Check if 'that' is missing. I'll go down to the prison area."

"Understood." Robin said. The two split up, and Shulk went down to the prison area.

"Dammit." Shulk said, looking at the broken cell doors. All of them were empty. Cinder Fall, Neopolitan, Roman Torchwick, Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai, and Adam Taurus were gone. "This isn't good."

"Shulk!" Robin yelled, a worried look on his face. "Bad news. The container holding Zanphiroth is missing."

"Yeah, I figured." Shulk said. "These cell doors look to be forced open. No doubt someone came in and took everyone they could."

"This is bad." Robin said. "If someone is bringing our enemies together..."

"Come on." Shulk said. "Hopefully Cid has some good news."

Turns out he did. "Well, the engine isn't broken, and none of the important hardware." Cid said. "Only the walls and outside of the ship is damaged."

"That's good to hear." Shulk said.

"I'll probably be able to fix this by the time you guys defeat Anankos, so just leave me here for now." Cid said. "I'm not that much of a help in battles, but I can defend myself from monsters, so I'll be fine here."

"All right." Shulk said. "I guess we'll leave you here. We're counting on you, Cid."

"Understood, captain!" Cid teased Shulk.

Robin and Shulk walked out of the Skywind, where the rest of the group was waiting. "Where's Cid?" Yuffie asked.

"He wanted to stay behind and work on the ship." Robin said. "That way it's ready for us when we end this."

"Okay then." Kamui said. "Come on. We don't have much time to waste."

* * *

 **Two weeks ago, on the Skywind, after it crashed in Valla.**

"Hey, what happened?!" Torchwick yelled angrily from inside his cell. "Where the hell are we?! Is anybody there?!"

"Sounds like we're alone." Mercury said, laying against the wall. "Maybe they all died in that crash?"

"I doubt it." Emerald said. "If they died over something like this, I'd be very disappointed, considering they beat us." Neo nodded.

"It is strange, though." Adam said. "If they didn't die, they would definitely be going around to see if we were all here."

"Something has happened." Cinder said. "Something mystic. I don't know what, though."

"Oh, good, you're all still alive." A voice came from within the shadows. A man with black hair and a large cloak flowing all the way down to his knees stepped out of the shadows. He was holding a large cylinder in his hand, and was handling it with care.

"Who are you?" Cinder asked.

"Oh, that's right, we haven't met yet." The man smiled. "My name's Hraevir, servant to Her, the one who gave you your mission you failed some time ago."

Cinder sneered. "The seer was more powerful than I anticipated. And his comrades... I severely underestimated them."

"As did I." Hraevir said. "That's why we'll be taking a different approach. Ganondorf?"

Another man came out of the shadows, with long red hair, huge armor, and a double handed sword in each hand. He brought up his swords, and swung down hard on the cell, destroying it in one strike.

"Wow..." Mercury said.

Hraevir pointed to the hall leading out of the prison cell. "Take the second door to your right, and you'll find your weapons and gear. Take whatever you need. We're leaving as soon as everyone's ready."

"Leaving where?" Torchwick asked.

"We're bringing together a team." Hraevir said. "To fight these 'heroes.' A team of people who hold a grudge against them. Salem is already aware of this."

"Salem?!" Cinder exclaimed.

"I don't like that witch." Ganondorf said. "But, I understand that I need to be with strong people to finally attain my goal."

"Thank you, Ganondorf." Hraevir said. "That is all I needed from you. Would you mind this back for me?" Hraevir handed Ganondorf the cylinder he was holding.

"And just what is this?" Ganondorf asked.

"The holding place of someone very, very dangerous, but can be very powerful if we can tame him." Hraevir said. "That is all I'm saying. We will meet you back at base, Ganondorf."

Ganondorf huffed, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Now then, what is everyone standing around for?" Hraevir asked. "Don't worry, you aren't going to be caught again. The crew of this ship is all scattered, anyway."

"And did you do that?" Adam asked.

"No. Inter dimensional travel went wrong for everyone on this ship. They were torn apart and teleported to who knows where in this world. I was lucky to find this ship here, in Valla. Although the ruler here loathes humans, he's an ally of mine, so he shouldn't attack us. Come on, get moving! We have a lot to do."

"Fine." Emerald said. She was the first one to run to her stuff, followed by Mercury, Torchwick, Neo, Adam and Cinder. Once everyone grabbed their stuff, they walked out of the Skywind and into the kingdom of Valla.

"Well, this is an interesting place." Torchwick said.

"We're not staying here." Hraevir said. "Everyone get close."

"Hey, why aren't we destroying their ride?" Mercury asked, pointing to the Skywind.

Hraevir laughed. "Please. That thing is so well built, it can only be destroyed by a weapon meant to destroy continents. You were lucky that the auto defense system was damaged in the crash, otherwise you would've been dead by now. Now, get close." Everyone did so, and they disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Welcome, Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai, Mercury Black, Adam Taurus, Roman Torchwick, and Neopolitian." A woman's voice said as they reached their destination. "We welcome you, as the new soldiers of the Dumari Kingdom, to my palace. Now, we have much to talk about."

* * *

"You know, I'm surprised." Linkle said to Zelda and Link as they continued towards the castle. "We haven't ran into a single enemy yet!"

As soon as Linkle said that, invisible troops suddenly surrounded the group, hundreds. "You just had to open your mouth, huh?" Proxi said to Linkle. Link had an annoyed look on his face.

"Get into position, everyone!" Corrin yelled.

"Corrin, that woman..." Azura whispered in Corrin's ear. She pointed to the commander, who had two more figures standing next to her. "It's the same one as the first time we came to Valla."

"Yeah, it is..." Corrin said. "But otherwise, we're completely surrounded." He raised his voice so that everyone could here him. "Attack!"

All six of the dragon shifters quickly transformed, and let their Dragon Slayer companions get on their backs. Link, Zelda, and the two Pits dashed behind the group, leading the charge to the back side of the surprise attack. Hoshido followed the four, while Nohr went to the front, as well as most of the Skywind crew, where the bulk of the army lay. Archers and healers stayed in the back, ready to support when necessary.

"Corrin." Azura said. "Take me to their commander, please." Corrin nodded, and roared for all other dragon shifters to follow him to the three in charge. The six dragons jumped over the raging battle, and landed in front of the three figures.

The figure in the center smirked, and decided to become fully visible. Azura gasped. "M-Mother?!"

"That's your mother?!" Blake exclaimed.

"This can't be." Azura said, her breathing getting faster and faster. "You're... You're..."

"Welcome, intruders." Azura's mother said. "I am Arete, faithful servant to the ruler of this land, Anankos."

"Servant?" Yang asked.

"Everyone here are servants to Anankos, whether they like it or not." The figure on Arete's left said. It was Weiss' turn to gasp.

"Winter?!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Yes, I'm surprised you knew my name, child." The figure, the late Winter Schnee, said.

"Then, who's the other?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" The last figure said. "I'm Summer Rose. Nice to meet you!"

Ruby and Yang both fell off the backs of Robin and Morgan respectively. "M-Mother..." Ruby said, tears coming to her eyes.

"You're alive..." Yang said.

"That can't be." Robin said, turning back into a human. "Her mother should be dead... Otherwise Ruby couldn't have gotten the Summer Maiden's power..."

"Are you OK, Ruby?" Morgan asked, helping her friend up.

"Mother..." Was all Ruby said.

"'Mother?'" Summer said. "Sorry, that's not me."

"What...?"

"I don't think I ever was a mother... Well, anyway, guess we have to kill you now!" Summer pulled out her weapon: a large scythe, similar to Crimson Rose, but white and blue instead of red and black. Winter pulled out her weapon, a rapier, as well as Arete pulling out a tome, ready to attack the dragon born.

"We have no choice." Azura said, pulling out her naginata. "We have to fight our relatives to the death."

"Are you sure, Azura?" Blake asked.

"Yes. These aren't our relatives. They're merely being used by Anankos. I'm sorry, Ruby, Yang, Weiss. But..." Azura didn't finish, as Corrin jumped out of the way of a magic blast coming from Arete.

"Stay here, Yang, Ruby. Or come if you want." Robin said. "We understand either way. Come on, Morgan."

"Right!" Morgan said. The two turned into dragons and flew towards Summer, who dodged both of them, and spun around in the air, very similar to Ruby's style of combat.

Kamui brought up her wings quickly, blocking Winter's strike at a stunned Weiss, and Lucina came charging in, hitting Winter away. "Are you OK, Weiss?!" Blake exclaimed.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Weiss said, shaking herself out of her stunned state. "I'll defeat Winter, no matter what. It's my duty to let my sister rest peacefully."

"I'll help you, then." Blake said. "Right, Lucina?" Lucina roared in response, and Kamui nodded her head. The four charged in towards an awaiting Winter.

"Sorry, Corrin." Azura said. "I wasn't paying attention. Don't worry, I'm good now. Reflet, we'll need your help." Reflet nodded, and ran towards Arete, Corrin and Azura close behind.

"Mom... Mom's alive..." Ruby kept telling herself.

"Ruby!" Yang yelled, shaking her sister. "Come on. We need to help."

"But...Yang... It's mom!"

"No, it's not! You heard Azura!" Yang grabbed Ruby's shoulders and brought their faces so close that their foreheads were touching. "Robin and Morgan are fighting for their lives against someone who is too strong for them. You and I know it. That's all the more reason to help them. Mom's soul is being used, and it's our job as her daughters to help her in any way we can." Yang sighed. "Sorry, Ruby. This is hard on me too. But when we joined this journey, we knew that things would be hard." Yang stood up, and held out a hand to her sister, who took it.

"You're right, Yang." Ruby said, wiping away tears, and pulling out Crimson Rose. "Hold on, Morgan! I'm coming!"

Ruby jumped into the air, blocking a strike from her mother, and landed on Morgan's back. "Oh, that's a neat weapon!" Summer said. "Looks just like mine!"

"I designed my weapon like yours, when I went to the academy." Ruby said. "I learned from Qrow just how you fought, and did my best to do what you did. And now I see my mom, doing none of those things. I can't let you take my mom's rest away, Anankos!" Her eyes started to glow, and yellow fire started engulfing her body. Yang's body became engulfed in red lightning, and Robin and Morgan could feel the power emanating from the two sisters. They charged forward, towards Summer, who looked somewhat surprised. Yang shot a bullet at Summer, but she jumped out of the way, and swung her scythe down on Yang, but Yang grabbed the scythe and threw it towards Ruby, who grabbed it in her hand. She jumped off of Morgan, a scythe in each hand, and spun in the air, creating a flaming wheel of death, that chased Summer. Yang also jumped off of Robin's back, shooting bullets surrounded by red lightning at Summer, dashing next to her sister as Summer frantically dodged their attacks.

Robin and Morgan transformed into humans, and dashed together and ended up behind Summer. "Morgan, we're going to combine our magic together, got it?" Robin said.

"All right, dad!" Morgan said. Morgan summoned fire in her left hand, while Robin summoned lightning in his right hand. They held their hands behind them and had them a few inches apart from each other. The lightning enveloped the fire, and the orb grew larger and larger.

"We need to yell our our attack!" Morgan said.

"What?!" Robin exclaimed.

"Yeah! This is a cool attack, so let's call it something like 'Thunder Flame Unison Ray!'"

"Okay, fine!" The orb soon suddenly shrunk, completely focused into one point. "Now!" Robin yelled.

"Thunder Flame Unison Ray!" Father and daughter yelled, grabbing hands and bringing their arms forward. They let go of each other's hands and let the power stored up loose. A huge beam hit Summer, completely engulfing her, but not affecting Ruby or Yang, who were immune to the elements. ruby ran up to her mother, who was hurt really badly, and swung both scythes down on her chest, effectively finishing her off.

"Weiss!" Blake yelled. The two girls jumped into the air above, charging their element in their mouths. "Roar of the..." Weiss said, white mist coming from her mouth.

"Roar of the..." Blake said as well, black wind coming from her mouth.

"Winter Dragon!" Weiss yelled, shooting pure white ice at Winter.

"Fall Dragon!" Blake yelled, firing huge winds at Winter as well. The two rays combined, and huge chunks of ice and wind created an ice tornado right on top of Winter.

"Gah!" Winter yelled, trying her best to defend herself from the onslaught of ice being hurled at her at a hundred miles per hour.

"Now, Lucina!" Kamui yelled, turning back into a human, Yato in hand.

"Right!" Lucina yelled, turning back into a human as well, and used wind magic to keep Winter in place. Kamui ran forward, and stabbed the Yato in Winter's chest, taking her out.

"Summer! Winter!" Arete yelled, her attention away momentarily from her opponents. Azura recognized this chance.

"Reflet, go in!" Azura yelled. Reflet transformed into her human form, and spread darkness all around Arete, Corrin and Azura. Corrin dashed in, and Azura pulled Arete off of her horse, and stabbed her naginata in her mother's chest.

Reflet made the darkness go away. Summer Rose, Winter Schnee, and Arete were all down, and not getting back up. The rest of the army was cleaning up the remains of the ambush.

"R-Ruby... Yang..." Summer said.

"Mom?" Ruby said, kneeling next to her mom.

"Do you remember?" Yang asked, a concerned expression on her face.

"Yes... I am so sorry, my children." Summer said. "I'm sorry for leaving you to fend for yourself, and you having to fight me just now. So, you two have become the Spring and Summer maidens?"

"Yes..." Ruby said, her tears coming down.

"That's good... You also became Huntresses, huh? Not what I wanted you to do, but... You're good at it, and I can tell." Summer smiled, tears now flowing down her cheeks. "Ruby... Take good care of Pure Iris for me. That's my weapon, just so you know."

"Mom..." Ruby said. Summer raised her hands up to her two daughters, and pulled them in for a last hug.

"I love you two. I will always be watching you from above. Now, you two need to make me a promise."

"Wh-What is it, mom?" Yang said, unable to stop her tears.

"Stay alive. Stay alive until you grow old and can't stay alive anymore. You can't come with me yet. Can you promise me that?"

"...Yes..." Ruby said.

"Good." Summer looked up to Morgan. "Hey, you. What's your name?"

"Oh! Um, it's Morgan." Morgan said. "This is my dad, Robin."

"Take care of my daughters. Please."

"We will." Robin said. "We'll make sure they keep their promise."

Summer smiled. "Good..." That was the last thing she ever said.

"Mom! MOM!" Ruby yelled, crying on Summer's chest. Yang just sat up, shocked.

"Winter..." Weiss said, looking at her sister.

"Heh." Winter said. "You've grown stronger. Good. Glad to see you using the Winter Maiden to its full potential. How's dad?"

"He's...dad." Weiss said, wiping away a tear that fell down her cheek. "I haven't talked to him in a while."

Winter smiled. "I suppose not. How do you like your journey so far?"

"I'm loving it. Meeting all these people, seeing all these places I couldn't even imagine..."

"Good. Well, I should probably leave you be. By the way, work on your summoning, fix your posture, and, most of all..." Winter's face relaxed. "I love you."

"I love you too...sister." Weiss said. She smiled, surprised she didn't cry any more. "Even though you were dying for a second time, you still critiqued my every flaw."

"Mother..." Azura said. The rest of the royal siblings were standing next to Azura, looking at the beaten form of Arete.

"Azura." Arete said. "I am truly sorry. Anankos..."

"I understand, mother." Azura said. "You don't need to justify your actions."

Arete smiled. "Before I go, I should tell you something. I am not the only soul that you'll find to be controlled by Anankos. Some of them will be important to some of you here. Do not be afraid to kill them. They are not themselves. They won't hold it against you."

"All right." Corrin said. "We'll keep that in mind."

"Your army is bigger than Anankos expected. I believe you should be able to enter the front of the castle, as Anankos is probably pulling all of his soldiers to the throne room, where he awaits you. That is all I have to say. Good bye, my daughter."

Azura sniffed. "Bye, mother..."

Xander looked around, sneering. "Anankos is cruel. Making us fight dead relatives of ours."

"It is cruel indeed." Ryoma said. "All the more reason why we must Anankos as soon as possible."

"Are you OK, Azura?" Corrin asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Azura lied. "We need to get moving. We're close to the castle now. Come on, everyone!"

"Ruby..." Morgan said, kneeling next to her friend, trying to comfort her.

Ruby stood up suddenly, and transformed both Crimson Rose and Pure Iris into their sniper modes. "I won't forgive Anankos. I won't!" She yelled. She grabbed the sheath for Pure Iris from Summer's body, and clipped it onto her back along with Crimson Rose's sheath. She put away both of the scythes, her eyes filled with anger. "We're going, Morgan!"

"Right, Ruby." Morgan said.

"Yeah we are!" Yang yelled, grabbing Summer's white robe, and throwing it on herself. "I don't care if this will throw off my style of combat. I want that Anankos to see this and make him feel guilty for making us kill our mother!"

"I'm with you there." Weiss said. "What Anankos has done is absolutely unacceptable."

"Agreed." Blake said. "We're taking down Anankos, no matter what."

"We all feel that way." Jaune said, the rest of Team JNPR following him.

"We are all going to give it our all against him." Pyrrha said.

"That's right!" Nora yelled. Ren nodded in response.

As Zelda watched, she smiled. "These children sure are remarkable." She said to Link. "Even though they've gone through such hardship moments ago, they're ready to go back into battle." Link nodded.

"They sure are impressive!" Pit said, flying over the two talking.

"Enough talk." Dark Pit said. "They're leaving us behind!"

"Oh, that's right!" Proxi exclaimed. "Come on, Link!" The four ran to catch up with the rest of the army, tired, but ready for the final battle.

* * *

"We're finally here..." Kamui said.

"The castle looks...gloomy." Takumi observed, looking high up to the pitch black stones of the castle.

"There are no guards, just like Arete said, but..." Ryoma observed. "We need to be ready, just in case."

"You're right." Corrin said. "Everyone, ready your weapons." Everyone pulled out their weapons, Ruby pulling out both scythes, wielding the two over sized gardening tools surprisingly well.

"We'll open the doors on three." Azura said, pushing against the doors. "One... Two..."

Azura couldn't finish, as the doors slowly opened on their own. "Who's there!" Corrin yelled. His eyes widened quickly, seeing a figure he thought he'd never see again.

"M-M..." Corrin couldn't speak.

"It can't be!" Ryoma yelled.

"Hello, my children." Mikoto said, smiling warmly. "I'm glad I was able to catch you in time."

"M-Mother..." Sakura said, her turn to cry.

"I-I don't believe it..." Hinoka said.

"Quickly, we don't have much time." Mikoto said, her face darkening. "I was brought back to life by Anankos, but I was able to beat his control, probably since I was a new soul. I'm glad you were able to stop Arete, though. I tried to stop her myself, but sadly, she was completely under the control of Anankos."

"Shut up." Cloud said, punching Mikoto in the face.

"Cloud!" Corrin yelled. "What the hell was that for?!"

"You're all idiots!" Cloud yelled. "She's dead! Gone! Arete told us that Anankos controls the minds of all those he controls, including her! Stop being blinded by shock, and accept the truth!"

"But..." Sakura said. She was now crying.

"Behind you!" Tifa yelled. She dashed forward, and punched a ninja who was hiding in the shadows away from Cloud. More soldiers came out of the shadows, completely surrounding the group.

"Good job, Mikoto." A man's voice said, far behind the rest of the soldiers.

"I know that voice..." Ryoma said.

Mikoto stood up and ran back towards the user of that voice. "It was really nothing, Sumeragi."

Ryoma gasped. "Father!"

A man with a large ponytail similar to Ryoma's, a large beard and moustache, and traditional Samurai armor stepped out of the shadows. "Welcome, our children!" Sumeragi yelled. "I am surprised you have made it this far, but, if it were any different, I couldn't call you my children!" Sumeragi laughed at his own joke. "The throne room is just past us, but... In order to get there, I'm afraid you'll have to kill us!"

"Bastard..." Xander said. "We don't have time for this!"

"I agree." Mikoto said. "So you better hurry!" She quickly shot an arrow at a shocked Sakura, who was frozen in place, not moving.

"Sakura!" Takumi yelled, and quickly shot an arrow at the incoming arrow, hitting it dead on and snapping it in two, effectively protecting Sakura.

"We'll take care of Sumeragi and Mikoto." Leo said. "You Hoshidan royalty stay back."

"No." Hinoka said. "Just like Azura, we have a duty to free our parents' souls."

"Agreed." Ryoma said, pulling out Raijinto. "I can't just stand by as my parents are being tormented."

"We're coming, too!" Corrin yelled.

"No." Ryoma said. "Please. You need to save your strength. We'll need your sword's power to defeat Anankos."

"But they're my parents too!" Corrin exclaimed.

"Look at you!" Takumi yelled, pushing down Corrin with ease. "You're already so tired. This is taking more out of you than even you know. Like Ryoma said, we need your power. Let us be the ones to protect you, for once!"

"They're right, Corrin." Kamui said. "We need to stay back." Azura nodded.

Corrin huffed. "Fine. But none of you are going to die, you hear me?! You're all my siblings, and I love every one of you!"

"As if we'd die from this." Leo said. "Don't worry. We won't."

"We'll take care of Sumeragi." Ryoma said. "You four take care of Mikoto."

"Understood." Xander said. "Let's go!"

"Well, if it ain't the little brats!" A voice said from behind a group of archers.

"Who's there?!" Reyn yelled.

"Get down, Reyn!" Shulk yelled, pushing Reyn to a ground just as a bullet went past Reyn's head.

"Who's there?!" Dunban yelled, pointing his sword towards the direction the shot came from.

"What, you don't recognize an old pal?!" The voice exclaimed. "Talk about forget and move on..."

"I know that voice..." Shulk said.

From behind the group of archers, the figure revealed itself. He was tall, had blonde hair, a goatee, and was smoking a cigar.

"No way..." Reyn said.

"Dickson!" Dunban yelled, gritting his teeth.

"In the flesh!" Dickson said, taking a big smoke of his cigar. "Well, not really, but... You get the point. Seems we aren't on Bionis anymore! Looks like you really did it. How did you? How'd you beat Zanza?"

"That's none of your business." Shulk growled.

Dickson laughed. "Still, I'm sensing...godly power somewhere. Huh." Dickson sighed and dropped his cigar on the ground.

"That's not possible..." Morgan said, tripping on a loose rock, right in front of a dead samurai.

"Morgan!" Ruby yelled, dashing in and slicing the samurai in two. That was when Ruby noticed Dickson. "Who's that?"

"Someone really evil." Lucina said.

"We'll handle him." Robin said. "Reflet, you stay back with everyone else."

"Got it, Robin." Reflet said. "Stay safe."

"What are you doing here, Dickson?!" Melia yelled, pointing her staff accusingly at Dickson.

"Don't you already know? Anankos gave all of us here life again. That includes me!"

"Still, everyone else we fought, they didn't regain their memories of the previous world." Sharla said. "So how come you still remember us?"

"Dunno." Dickson said. "Maybe because I don't hold any sympathy for any of you?"

"You little..." Reyn scowled.

"Mustache man still evil!" Riki yelled.

Dickson laughed. "Good come back, fuzzball! Oh, wait, I'm kidding! Now, let's get going, already! You wanted to fight me, right?"

Shulk yelled in anger, and dashed forward, Monado in hand. He swung down on Dickson, who brought up his rifle and blocked it. Shulk was expecting this, and threw his weight underneath Dickson, kicking his shins.

"Gah!" Dickson yelled. Dickson quickly turned around, shooting a round of bullets at Shulk, who blocked all of them. Dickson's eyes widened. Then, he quickly smirked. "So you still have the gift of foresight? I thought you would've wanted all gods dead, considering Zanza 'n' all!"

"There are no more gods in this world! This was a gift from Alvis." Shulk said. "He gave it to me as he took his dying breaths!"

"Are you sure he gave it to you as a gift?" Dickson taunted, blocking Shulk's angry swipes.

"Shut up, Dickson!" Dunban yelled, jumping in after Shulk was pushed away. He swung quickly at Dickson's legs, twirling gracefully in the air.

"Aw, did I strike a nerve?!" Dickson taunted Dunban, still smirking. "That damn Alvis always has something planned! He was the one that guided Shulk to overtake Zanza! I found that out during the afterlife, in Habal!" He turned to Robin and Lucina, who were standing by, ready for their chance to strike. "You two paid a visit there, didn't you!"

"That's right." Robin said. "But we came back."

"We're more alive than you are, Dickson!" Lucina yelled.

"That's right!" Morgan added. "You're nothing more than a spirit! My parents are flesh and blood!"

"Whatever you say!" Dickson said. "Now then, I suppose I should get serious, huh?" He started glowing like he did on Prison Island, and transformed into the form he took during his last stand on Prison Island. "Let's all have some fun!"

"You're disgusting!" Xander yelled at Mikoto, charging in, ready to strike Mikoto. "You don't remember anything from your past, but still, you used us!" However, when Xander charged in, a soldier took the hit for Mikoto, leaving an opening for Mikoto to attack.

"Lord Xander!" Laslow yelled, pushing away his opponent, ready to run in to help Xander. But he was shot in the leg by an arrow.

"Laslow!" Selena yelled, killing the archer, and helping her friend up. Odin ran in as well, taking out a mage who was starting an enchantment.

"We must leave them be, my friends!" Odin yelled. "Though my blood and I loathe to admit it, that is not our fight!"

"Odin's right, though I hate saying it." Selena said.

"Yes, we agree as well." Kagero, one of Ryoma's retainers, said.

"Our lords and ladies must do this themselves." Azama said, healing Laslow's wound.

"Lord Xander will make us proud, Laslow!" Peri said. "He'll spill lots of blood!"

"You better not underestimate Takumi, Nohrians!" Oboro said.

"Yeah! Lord Takumi is amazing!" Hinata said. "I wish I could be like him..."

"But he couldn't do half as well without Sakura by his side!" Hana yelled.

"That's right!" Subaki said. "Sakura is doing a lot for them!"

"Elise is doing just as good, though!" Effie said.

"Lady Camilla is pretty amazing, as well." Beruka said.

"Leo is still the best mage here." Niles said.

"Yay, Hinoka..." Setsuna said. "Wait, what were we talking about, again?"

"Can we all shut up and focus on the task at hand?" Saizo asked.

"My brother is correct." Kaze said. "We have to deal with the enemy right in front of us. Arguing which of the royal siblings is better can wait."

"Let's go!" Arthur yelled. "For justice!"

Soon, the armies of Nohr and Hoshido lined up back to back, becoming an impenetrable fortress, taking out spirits left and right.

"They're finally working together!" Felicia said.

"That's good." Flora said next to her sister. "Now we actually have a chance against Anankos."

"Indeed." Jakob said. "Don't you agree, Gunter?" Gunter said nothing. "Gunter?"

"Watch out!" Mozu yelled, swiping at a ninja who sneaked up on the retainers of Corrin and Kamui. Mozu effectively killed it, knocking the retainers out of their conversation.

"Thanks, Mozu!" Felicia said, bowing to the villager. "Sorry for not taking action earlier."

"It's fine, really!" Mozu said, blushing at the bow.

"Focus, everyone!" Cloud yelled. "We're all doing our part, so you do yours!"

"Right!" Mozu said. "Let's go!"

"Gah!" Shulk fell to the ground, coughing up blood. "That was a hard hit I just took..."

Dickson laughed. "Is that all the strength you have? I can't believe you're the same brats that killed me last time!"

"Shut up!" Reyn yelled, charging in with Dunban, hoping to topple Dickson.

"That ain't gonna work!" Dickson yelled, kicking the two of them away. Reyn cursed, and transformed his metal arm into a gun, running around Dickson, blasting him with rounds upon rounds of bullets, all of which seeming to do very little to Dickson.

Shulk stood up shakily, and walked forward, dodging a blast from Dickson's rifle. "Robin!" Shulk yelled.

"Understood!" Robin yelled back. He transformed into a dragon, and flew underneath Shulk as Shulk jumped into the air. Lucina and Morgan also transformed into dragons, picking up Fiora and Dunban.

"Dragons, eh?" Dickson said. "That's new! And Reyn! You're missing an arm?"

"Shut yer yap!" Reyn yelled, dashing in yet again, his arm now a sword. "Sharla! Melia!"

"Right!" The two girls yelled, blasting Dickson's face with bullets and magic, clouding Dickson's vision. That gave Reyn and Riki to dash in and topple Dickson.

"Now, friends!" Riki yelled. Morgan and Dunban flew downwards, Morgan landing on top of Dickson and blasting Dickson with fire. Dunban jumped off of Morgan and stabbed one of Dickson's eyes.

"Yargh!" Dickson yelled in pain, pushing the two of them off of him. That was when Lucina barged into Dickson, knocking him into the air, and leaving an opening for Fiora to jump up and slice off the wing-like limbs on his back. Then Robin struck him with lightning in the back, pushing Dickson away from Lucina and Fiora.

"Damn you all!" Dickson yelled. He turned quickly, and fired a bullet directly at Robin and Shulk.

Shulk's eyes widened. "Watch out!" He yelled. His eyes glowed, and everything seemed to slow around him. The bullet was barely moving. Shulk could see Fiora's eyes slowly widen in fear, and Reyn seemingly calling out "Shulk!" In slow motion.

"What...is this?" Shulk asked. He shook that thought out of his head. He could worry about it later. Right now, he needed to finish the job. Taking advantage of time all around him being slowed, he jumped off of Robin, and dashed forward, making his Monado grow to about three times his size. He swung to the left, completely destroying the bullet in midair. Shulk then put on Speed, using the momentum of jumping off of Robin to propel himself towards Dickson. He yelled, and swung the Monado straight through Dickson.

Shulk landed, and immediately fell to his knees, exhausted. Time went back to normal, and Dickson yelled out in pain, his body being split in half. No blood was spilled as Dickson fell to the ground, defeated once again. The bullet he fired at both Robin and Shulk was split in two, completely missing a shocked Robin.

"Shulk...?" Fiora asked, confused. "Weren't you on Robin?"

"How'd you go from there to here, Shulk?" Melia asked.

 _So what I just did... It seems to use a lot of energy._ Shulk thought. "I don't know..." Shulk said, a half-lie.

"Damn it..." Dickson said, falling to the ground. "I lost yet again..."

"That was amazing, Shulk!" Shulk heard Linkle yell.

"Yeah, I guess so..." Shulk said. He grimaced, as his entire body seemed to ache. He looked over to where the royal siblings were fighting Mikoto and Sumeragi.

"You say I'm your father..." Sumeragi said, blocking all of Ryoma's attacks with his double blades. "Yet I don't remember..."

"You are my father!" Ryoma yelled, swinging wildly at Sumeragi. "You were killed by Garon when we were little!"

"Garon? Who's that?" Sumeragi asked, kicking Ryoma away. But Ryoma jumped back, and let Hinoka dive in on her Pegasus, swinging at Sumeragi, cutting his cheek. Then Hinoka flew upwards, letting Takumi fire an arrow at Sumeragi, piercing his armor.

"Now, Ryoma!" Takumi yelled. Ryoma ran forward as the arrow disappeared from Sumeragi's chest. Ryoma swung downward, but Sumeragi caught the Raijinto with his blades.

"I hate to do this, father..." Ryoma said. "But, I'm afraid I have no other choice." Ryoma unhooked his blade from Sumeragi's, and swung to the side, cutting the blades neatly in two. Leaving Sumeragi defenseless and shocked, Ryoma stabbed in the hole in Sumeragi's armor Takumi made, impaling his dead father in the chest. Sumeragi yelled in pain, and fell to his knees, the Raijinto still in his chest.

"Sumeragi!" Mikoto yelled, aiming an arrow at Ryoma. However, Xander shot a blast from Siegfried, destroying the bow in Mikoto's hands, no more soldiers to take the hits for her.

"You're open!" Leo said. he shot magic at her feet, hitting Mikoto into the air.

"You've been naughty, hurting our family!" Camilla yelled, swinging her axe through Mikoto, finishing her off.

"They did it..." Kamui said, relieved.

"I knew they could." Corrin said.

"Even Shulk and his friends were able to defeat that demon over there." Azura said, amazed.

"Shulk..." Dickson said. "You've definitely grown."

"You haven't changed one bit." Shulk said, standing up with some discomfort.

"You're right, I haven't." Dickson smiled. "But... There's something I wanted to tell you last time, but didn't. I don't want to waste that chance again."

"And just what do you want to tell me?"

"Even though I raised you for the sake of Zanza... I still loved you." Shulk's eyes widened. "I didn't see you as my son, but instead, more like a nephew. I really was proud of you for figuring out more about the Monado. You figured out more than I would've thought just by studying it." Dickson sighed. "I know you hate me. There's nothing I can do about that now. I just wanted to say that, before we part ways again." Shulk said nothing, his lips quivering. "Fine, don't say anything, geez!" Dickson coughed. "Later, kiddo..." Then, Dickson's spirit disappeared, returning to Habal.

"I'm sorry, Ryoma." Sumeragi said.

"Are your memories back, father?" Hinoka asked.

"Yes." Sumeragi smiled. "I'm glad you've all grown so much. To surpass your father... That is all I ever wanted." Sumeragi sighed. "I'm ashamed of myself for becoming a puppet to Anankos... How is Mikoto? Did you defeat her?"

"Yes, the Nohrian royals defeated her." Ryoma said, scowling so as to keep tears from falling.

"To think, you were the generation to unite with Nohr..." Sumeragi smiled. "I'm glad I was able to see you all one last time. Go over to your mother. I'll be fine."

"F-Father..." Sakura said, not bothering to hide her tears. She buried her face in his chest. "I...I love you!"

"I know, Sakura..." Sumeragi turned to his other children. "You've all grown so strong! That's all I could ask for. Send my regards to my adopted children, Corrin and Kamui."

"Adopted?" Takumi asked. But Sumeragi didn't answer. He disappeared, returning to Habal.

"Father!" Sakura cried, collapsing into Hinoka's arms.

"Don't cry, Sakura..." Mikoto said, surrounded by the Nohrian royal siblings, Corrin, Kamui, and Azura.

"Mother..." Sakura said. "I..."

"Mikoto." Xander said. He bowed to the once queen of Hoshido. "As a representative of Nohr, I humbly apologize for the attack that ultimately killed you."

"Don't worry about it..." Mikoto said. She turned to Corrin and Kamui. "Corrin, Kamui, there is something important I must tell you both before I go. You two... aren't Hoshidan blood."

"What?" Kamui asked. "What do you mean?"

"While it is true that I am your mother, Sumeragi was not your biological father. I met your father here, in Valla. However, when Anankos attacked Valla, I had to run with my sister, Arete, pregnant with you two."

Azura gasped. "You're sisters with my mother?!"

"Which means..." Corrin said.

"Yes." Mikoto said, smiling. "You are Valla royalty, and heirs to the throne. You know what you must do now. Defeat Anankos, and reclaim the throne to Valla. You must save this country!" Mikoto coughed violently. "I must get going, it seems. Don't worry about me. You must get going. The throne room is just past here. Don't let our deaths be in vain, everyone. Sorry I had to make you watch my death again." Mikoto was still smiling as her spirit returned to Habal, while Sakura cried, with Hinoka, Takumi and Ryoma all trying to hold back their own tears.

"This is too cruel." Leo scowled. "Making them see their parents die once more..."

"Come on." Corrin said, kneeling next to Sakura, wiping away her tears. "I know this sounds cruel, but we have to finish this. Otherwise Mother and Father won't rest peacefully."

"R-Right..." Sakura said. "I'm sorry!"

"Don't apologize. There's no need. Now..." Corrin stood up, and walked up to the giant doors that led to the throne room. "Just past these doors lie the final battle. Everyone, get ready. I'm going to open the doors."

"We'll follow behind you, Corrin." Kamui said.

"Right." Shulk said. "We're all in this together. We'll be right behind you."

"Thank you, everyone." Corrin said.

* * *

"In one...two...three..." Corrin pushed the doors open, and Corrin, Kamui, and Azura all ran in head first, followed by everyone else.

"There's...no one here..." Azura said, looking around the empty room.

"Anankos is supposed to be here, isn't he?" Kamui asked. "The only thing out of place seems to be that strange face."

Suddenly, large amounts of fire magic rained from above the entire army, except for the three Vallites in the front. Everyone fell to the ground, injured. _How did I not see that coming?!_ Shulk cursed in his mind, struggling to get up.

"What was that?!" Corrin exclaimed. "Is everyone all right?!"

"Gah!" Xander yelled. "What... What just happened?!"

"How come...those three weren't hurt...?" Leo said in between breaths.

"Is it possible that... They betrayed..." Ryoma said, not finishing the sentence.

"I can't believe that." Takumi said. "They wouldn't..."

"No, it makes sense." Gunter said, standing up with some difficulty. "They're Vallite royalty, after all. They must've deceived us in the name of Anankos."

"Gunter, what are you saying?!" Kamui exclaimed. "We would never do that!"

"It seems I was correct." Gunter continued. "I suspected there was a traitor among us ever since Scarlet was murdered. And Kamui was the only one up there with Scarlet before she died. I would have never believed it, but you three have betrayed all of us, haven't you?"

"You're saying that they were lyin' to us this whole time?!" Barret yelled angrily.

"Of course. It makes sense. Though it was Shulk who ultimately brought Nohr and Hoshido together, it could be that Corrin and Kamui brainwashed him while they were traveling with Shulk to make him think he saw a vision of Nohr and Hoshido comnig together so that he would come up with that insane plan so as to bring both royal families together. Shulk's visions aren't working as well now, anyway. All this so that it would be easy for Corrin, Kamui, and Azura to kill all of us, here and now."

"That's absurd." Cloud muttered. "Shulk isn't that easy to deceive!"

"This was all a plan made by Vallites to eliminate us all!" Gunter yelled. "Our leaders have betrayed us! They have lied to their comrades, and have worked everything up until now!"

"No!" Kamui yelled. "You're wrong!"

"Gunter." Corrin said. "How do you know of Shulk's visions?"

"What?!" Gunter said. "We have all been informed that Shulk is a seer!"

"Yes, but how did you know that his visions aren't working as of now? That detail was never shared!"

"Corrin's right." Shulk said. "Though I don't know why my visions aren't working properly, I didn't want to scare people. I wanted to give them hope, that everything would work out in the end, especially after Scarlet was killed."

"Now that you mention her death, Gunter..." Kamui said. "When you were carrying me back to camp, you mentioned a flower on Scarlet's chest. But that was burned off when we jumped. We were the last two to jump off, and she pinned that flower on after everyone else jumped. Meaning you had no way of knowing about that flower unless you were there!"

"These three are the traitors!" Gunter yelled, sweat trickling down the sides of his face.

"No, we're not!" Corrin yelled. "We would never betray our friends!"

"Stop lying." Gunter said.

"No, they're not the ones who are lying." Shulk said. "You are."

"What?!"

"He's right." Morgan said. "You know to much about things that were never mentioned or seen. If you knew about the flower on Scarlet's chest, then you must've been jumping with them into the canyon. And the only other person there besides Kamui and Scarlet was the murderer. That means that..."

"Gunter, you're the traitor!" Kamui yelled. "You were the one who murdered Scarlet, and attacked us all just now, so that you could put the blame on us. Am I wrong?"

Everything was silent. Then, Gunter laughed. "I can't believe you actually figured that out! I'm impressed!" Gunter turned and sat on the throne in the back of the room.

"How long have you been lying to us, Gunter?!" Corrin yelled.

"Hmm... That's a tough one, Corrin." Gunter said. "I suppose...this whole time, one way or another."

"Why would you betray us?!" Azura yelled. "Why would you kill Scarlet?!"

"Simple. I hate you all. Your belief in the good of all. It makes me sick..."

"That's not Gunter." Robin said. "I think I finally figured it out. The reason why Anankos isn't here is because he was watching it all, this whole time. And who was the one who fell into the Bottomless Canyon before us all?"

"Gunter's... Anankos?!" Kamui exclaimed.

Gunter clapped. "Very good, tactician! Yes, I found this body in my domain, and decided to use it to see if I could stop you in any way I could've. But now you've found me out. So I guess-"

Gunter gasped suddenly as lightning struck him instantly. "Melia?!" Dunban exclaimed.

"Now!" Melia said, summoning more elements to her side. "Take him down!"

"If we attack him to the point of unconsciousness, then we can release Anankos from Gunter's body!" Reflet said.

"No need to tell us twice!" Corrin yelled. "Kamui!"

"Right!" Kamui yelled. The two ran forward, and swung their twin Yatos at a stunned Gunter, knocking him to the floor. They hit either side of his head with the hilts of their swords, knocking him out.

"That was..." Azura said, stunned.

"Quick..." Takumi finished. "Did... Did we win?"

"No." Shulk said. "That was just the warm up."

Purple energy flew from Gunter into the strange face in the back of the room. The eyes in it started to glow, and the statue head extended, connected to a stone neck.

"So this is Anankos." Corrin said, sneering.

"I've been waiting for you all." Anankos said. "Especially you, seer. How dare you deceive my servant, Garon?!"

"I did what was necessary, Anankos." Shulk said.

"Anankos..." Corrin said. "You've been toying with us for far too long."

"Why?" Anankos said. "Why is it wrong toying with humans? Your race is weak. Its forgotten its place in the world-forgotten its benefactors. I have only seen one warrior in your race that I truly fear. You all solely exist for the amusement of your betters-the dragons! So answer me, Corrin! Why must I suffer and be forgotten?! Tell me!" The face split up, and the mouth opened up, producing a large roar that shook the entire room.

"So this is the might of Anankos..." Robin said. "To think he fears Acnologia... How powerful is the Dragon King?!"

"Do not mention that name!" Anankos roared. "Just hearing the name angers me and brings back unpleasant memories."

"Be quiet!" Kamui yelled. The twin siblings ran forward, swinging their swords at Anankos. However, they bounced off harmlessly.

"What the...?!" Corrin exclaimed.

Anankos growled. "You dare attack me, a god?! For that, you must pay with your life!"

"Look out!" Xander yelled, him and Ryoma getting in front of Corrin and Kamui, getting hit by a blast of energy coming out of Anankos' mouth. They screamed in pain, falling backwards.

"Xander! Ryoma!" Kamui yelled.

"We need more strength!" Corrin yelled. "What we have won't be enough if we can't even hurt him! We need more power!" Corrin raised up his Yato. "Yato, give us strength!"

Both Yatos started to glow, as well as the four other sacred weapons wielded by the royal siblings. "What is this?!" Leo exclaimed, as Brynhildr stared to glow.

"This light..." Ryoma said as he stood up, Raijinto starting to glow in his hands.

"It feels, powerful..." Xander said, Siegfried glowing as well.

"Something's up..." Takumi said, Fujin Yumi glowing.

The Yatos..." Azura said.

"They're transforming again!" Tracer exclaimed.

"It feels overwhelmingly powerful..." Kamui said.

"There's no doubt about it." Corrin said. "Our Yatos are transforming into their true forms. This is the power we need. The power to kill Anankos!"

All of the weapons stopped glowing, and in Corrin and Kamui's hands, the Yatos had transformed into a sword glowing with an intense heat, many mini blades spinning around the main blade. "Its power feels just as strong as the Fire Emblem!" Robin exclaimed.

"Could that be this world's Fire Emblem?!" Lucina exclaimed. "Like how there are two Triforces?!"

"It can't be!" Anankos exclaimed. "That power?!"

"We have the upper hand as of now!" Corrin yelled. "Kamui! Together!"

"Right!" Kamui yelled. Once more, the two rushed forward, followed by the other royal siblings. Takumi and Leo blasted Anankos with magic and arrows, while Hinoka and Camilla flew into the sky, attacking cracks in the stone face. Xander and Ryoma rushed forward with Corrin, Kamui and Azura, stabbing at the neck.

"Roar of the Water Dragon!" Azura yelled, blasting Anankos with a huge rain of water. "Now!" Azura yelled.

Corrin and Kamui jumped up into the air, and swung down on Anankos' face, splitting the stone face in two.

Anankos screamed in agony. "Curse you...humans..." Anankos said. "Always stepping over me... Forgetting me..."

"It's over, Anankos." Corrin said. "Surrender."

"More..." Anankos muttered. "I need...more dragons' blood. GARON!"

A flash of light came in between Corrin and Anankos, and Garon stood there, in his human form. "F-Father?!" Xander exclaimed. "What are you doing here!"

"I would not abandon my master when he needs me the most!" Garon said. He turned to Anankos and held up his hands. "Anankos! I offer my body to you! Use me in whatever way will help you the most!"

Anankos laughed. "Thank you, Garon. You have been a most useful servant." Anankos lifted up his head, and brought his mouth down around Garon, completely engulfing him.

"FATHER!" Elise yelled, still feeling love for the demon posing as Garon as he went down Anankos' gullet.

"Ah, much better." Anankos said. "Now! Fear my true power!" The stone face broke apart, revealing multiple red eyes as the neck retracted into the ground. The entire castle shook, and began to crumble.

"Hold on to something!" Tifa yelled, as the ceiling broke apart, revealing a giant dragon with stone spikes on its back, tattered wings, and a head with a strange sphere in its mouth. On the sphere, many red eyes were scattered around it. The dragon shot a burst of magic into the air, creating a black hole that sucked up many small, floating islands into it. The island that the castle once stood on started to be pulled towards it, along with all the warriors on it.

"Not good!" Hinoka yelled. "What are we going to do?!"

"Look!" Riki yelled, pointing towards the dragon, Anankos. Anankos turned around in the air, and dashed towards the island everyone was on. It grabbed onto the sides, keeping it from going any closer to the black hole.

Anankos laughed. "Finally... I am revived! Now, humans, just see what you can do against me!"

"Damn you, Anankos." Robin said. "I won't let you cause any more destruction!"

"Hm, I wonder..." Anankos said. From his mouth, a pink, fire like substance flew towards Robin, Lucina, and Reflet. "It seems I have the power now to finally do it!"

"Aagh!" Lucina yelled as the fire completely engulfed them.

"Father! Mother! Reflet!" Morgan yelled. "What are you doing to them, Anankos?!"

"Any spirit that enters the realm of Habal belong to me, whether they know it or not. These three here are reborn spirits from Habal, thus, they are my servants!"

"No..." Shulk said. "That shouldn't be possible!"

The fire around Robin, Lucina, and Reflet disappeared, and Robin, Lucina, and Reflet reemerged, eyes glowing pink, all three devoid of life. They each transformed into dragons, and roared, completely under the mercy of Anankos. "Such power!" Anankos laughed. "Certainly the most powerful spirits I have ever had!" Anankos then summoned an army of spirits, the last remaining he had.

"This is...hopeless..." Elise said, eyes wide in shock.

"How are we supposed to fight this?!" Takumi exclaimed.

"We...don't have many choices..." Camilla said.

"Should we...surrender?" Ryoma asked.

"Stop it!" Kamui yelled. "Why are you complaining?!"

"As long as we're together, we can get through this!" Corrin yelled. "Xander, you take your troops and attack the left hand! Ryoma, you take your troops and attack the right hand! Us from the Skywind will take care of any spirits, and Robin, Lucina, and Reflet! We can do this together! Let's go!"

"Corrin's right." Xander said. "We must have faith that we'll win, no matter what."

"That's right." Ryoma said. He turned to his troops. "Let's go!" He yelled.

The sides of Nohr and Hoshido split, fighting through the spirits to Anankos' hands, keeping his open head just out of range.

"Th-This can't be..." Morgan said. "I... I can't lose my parents again!"

"You won't!" Ruby yelled, grabbing Morgan's hand and pulling her off the ground. "Because I'm here with you! We're all here with you, and we'll save our friends! We are a group! We are the heroes that will unite this world!"

"That's right!" Yang yelled. "We're gonna bring back Robin, Lucina, and Reflet and kick Anankos' ass!"

"And then, we're going to go out on adventures once more." Cloud said. "Together, like we always have!"

"..." Morgan said nothing, but was in awe by all her comrades' smiling faces. "You're right." Morgan said. "Just hold on, I'm coming for you, mother, father, Reflet!" Morgan transformed into a dragon, and ran forward with all her friends from the Skywind towards Robin, Lucina and Reflet, who roared and charged forward, locking themselves in combat with their friends and family.

"Such foolishness." Anankos said. "You cannot stand up to me now, but you still fight."

"You misunderstand, Anankos." Corrin said, standing back to back with Kamui and Azura. "This is why humans are better than you. We have our will and spirit! Our will that says that we will never give up, that we will win! That is something you will never understand, Anankos!"

"Roar of the Water Dragon!" Azura yelled, blasting the now exposed dragon with Dragon Slayer Magic, causing Anankos to bellow in pain.

"The left hand is down!" They heard Xander yell.

"Right hand is down!" Ryoma yelled from the other side.

"Little bugs!" Anankos yelled. His head came down, in range of the Omega Yatos that Corrin and Kamui wield.

The island suddenly lurched. "Oh no..." Shulk said. "We're being influenced by the black hole again!"

"We don't have a way to stop that!" Zelda yelled, facing off against five spirits with Link by her side.

"If we can feed it energy, we would be able to make it collapse on itself..." Tracer said.

"LEAVE THAT TO ME!" Suddenly, Cid's voice blared from behind Anankos.

"No way..." Cait Sith said.

"CID HERE TO SAVE THE DAY!" Cid yelled through the speakers of the Skywind, flying through the air behind Anankos. "ALL CANNONS AIMED AT THAT DAMN BLACK HOLE! FIRE!" All of the exterior weapons shot into the black hole, causing it to shrink, being filled with energy. The pull on the island shrunk, until the black hole was no more.

"Way to go, Cid!" Jaune yelled.

"THAT WAS ALL THE BATTERY THE SKYWIND HAD!" Cid said. "IT'LL TAKE A WHILE TO CHARGE AGAIN, SO THE REST IS UP TO YOU!" The Skywind started falling towards the ground, its job done.

"It seems I underestimated you humans." Anankos said.

"Corrin." Azura said. "We must strike now!"

"Right." Corrin said. He dashed forward, striking at Anankos' body, and dodging the attacks he threw at them.

"We need to take out those three without killing them." Shulk said. "We can do that with your Dragon Slayer magic, if you use it all at once."

"You mean us, the maidens?" Blake asked.

"Precisely. We'll buy you time. Get ready to strike when I give the word."

"Understood!" Ruby yelled. Team RWBY jumped back, and prepared all their magic to fire at Robin, Lucina and Reflet.

"Hey! Robin!" Cloud yelled angrily, swinging his sword at the angered Robin. Robin roared and blasted lightning at Cloud, who dodged, and jumped behind Tifa, who dashed in and gave a flurry of punches at Robin. "This isn't you!" Cloud yelled. "Anankos is using you, just like he's used everyone else! I thought you were stronger than that!"

"I thought you'd be done with being controlled after Naga and Grima!" Shulk yelled, taunting the three dragons. "You're weaker than I thought!"

The dragons roared, and fired each of their breath attacks at Shulk, who took it head on, not bothering to dodge. "Shulk!" Fiora yelled.

Shulk grimaced at the pain. "NOW!" Shulk yelled, as Morgan grabbed him and pulled him out of the way.

"Got it!" Ruby yelled. "Together now!"

All four members of Team RWBY got their magic in their mouths, ready to fire everything they got at Robin, Lucina and Reflet. "Roar of the FOUR MAIDEN DRAGON!" All four yelled at once, creating a beam of pure energy as big as Anankos. It hit the three dragons head on, blinding everyone, including Anankos. Team RWBY fell to the ground, completely spent.

"Did it work?" Cloud asked, huffing. When the smoke cleared, Robin, Lucina and Reflet, in their human forms, lay unconscious, injured, but still breathing.

"Good..." Shulk said. He collapsed on the ground, and saw everyone else doing the same, completely spent. The only enemy left was Anankos. "I leave the rest to you three, Corrin, Kamui, Azura..."

"How is this possible?!" Anankos exclaimed.

"That doesn't matter now!" Corrin yelled. "You are clearly to blinded by rage that you won't see why humans are better than you! We are humans, and we fight to stay alive. We have a will no other species has, and that is a will to win! Now, Kamui!" The twins ran forward, transforming into dragons, and blasting Anankos with Dragon Slayer magic, Azura staying back and also attacking with magic.

"This will be the last hit!" Azura yelled. She charged up all of her energy into her last attack. "Roar of the Water Dragon!" She yelled, hitting Anankos with a force of water as powerful as his skin is dense.

"Gah...Ah..." Anankos said, his body disappearing. His body exploded, leaving just the orb with the eyes in it, his brain.

"Go, Corrin, Kamui!" Azura yelled as she fell on her knees, completely spent.

Corrin and Kamui flew up into the air, and transformed back into humans, Yatos out. "Die, Anankos!" They yelled in unison, swinging down on the last of Anankos, slicing him in half.

"To think... I was bested by my children..." Anankos said. "At least now I'm free of this nightmare. Thank you, Corrin, Kamui..." Then, Anankos exploded, leaving ruins, and an exhausted army, the battle over.

"Finally..." Kamui said.

"It's over." Corrin finished. The twins high fived, and fell to the ground, losing consciousness.

* * *

"And so, Corrin." Azura said, standing in front of the throne of Valla, as Corrin knelt before her. "As princess of Valla, I crown you, Corrin, the new King of Valla." She put a makeshift crown on his head, officially crowning Corrin as the new king of Valla.

"Congratulations!" Sakura said.

"Yay, Corrin!" Elise yelled.

"You are the best suited to be king." Takumi said.

"I'm surprised you were the one to say that, Takumi." Leo said.

"What was that?!"

"My little Corrin has all grown up!" Camilla said.

"You don't have to be so lovey-dovey with him anymore, now." Hinoka said.

"Now all three kingdoms have new kings." Xander said.

"And all three kingdoms are forever united, as of today." Ryoma said.

"You're sure about this?" Corrin asked. "You should be the one to be crowned queen of Valla, since you're the oldest out of us three."

"I don't fit the role of queen." Azura said. "Besides, you look much better as king!"

"But, Kamui and I defeated Anankos together, so why isn't she queen?!"

"Oh, she is!" Azura whispered into Corrin's ear. "She just doesn't know it yet!"

"What was that?!" Kamui said. "You do know dragons have enhanced hearing, don't you?"

"Oh, dear me!" Azura teased. "Looks like I forgot about a second ceremony!" After Corrin was crowned king, Kamui knelt before Azura, and took the title of queen of Valla.

"To think we were able to rebuild the palace in two weeks..." Robin said to Shulk, renewed, and back to his old self.

"It was a pain in the ass, though..." Shulk said. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little shaken, is all. We're not gonna let something like that get us down again!"

"Glad to hear it." Shulk said.

 _In two weeks, Xander and Ryoma were crowned Kings of Nohr and Hoshido respectively, they created a peace treaty that will surely last for eternity. My visions started returning to normal, making me think that Anankos was responsible for the disruption, and not Cinder. I'm not sure how, but I think I'll find the answer eventually. We were also able to start the plan we made with Lilith to create a interconnected Deeprealm with other countries._ Shulk thought to himself. _We started with Hoshido, Nohr, and Valla, and were able to get the Skywind back to our world to create a Deeprealm portal in Ylisse, where Chrom came through and recruited Nohr and Hoshido for the Army of the Emblem, which they happily accepted._ Shulk smiled to himself. _We've made some real progress, that's for sure. I guess we have to leave soon, though. We've been here too long._

"Hey, Shulk..." Corrin said, walking up with Kamui and Azura.

"What is it, Your Highness?" Shulk asked.

"Please, call us by our first names." Corrin said. "It embarrasses me to hear Your Highness said to me."

Shulk laughed. "What did you want?"

"We were wondering if there was still room on your ship for us." Kamui said.

"And I as well." Azura said.

"I would say yes, but don't you have a country to run?"

"What country?" Corrin asked. "Even though it's being rebuilt, we don't have any people here."

"So we wanted to come with you guys around the world, and tell people about Valla." Kamui said. "Hopefully it'll grow into a country that'll rival Nohr and Hoshido."

"As if that'll ever happen." Xander said.

"Don't worry, we'll watch over Valla for you three." Ryoma said. "It's the least we can do for the heroes who united Nohr and Hoshido, and ended the war peacefully."

"Thank you, brother." Corrin said, bowing to Ryoma. "We are in your debt."

Ryoma smiled.

"Now, let's party!" Barret yelled, grabbing some booze and chugging the bottle "I haven't had alcohol in years!"

Soon, the celebration of Corrin and Kamui's coronation ended, and everyone was gathered around the Skywind, all rebuilt and ready to go.

"Well. Don't you have somewhere to be?" Takumi asked.

"Yeah." Leo said. "You have a different mission than us. This will be where our paths separate."

"It's been fun." Cloud said.

"If almost dying multiple times is your definition of fun, then I shouldn't hang out with you." Hinoka said. "But, I'll miss you two, Corrin, Kamui."

"We'll miss you, too." Kamui said.

"Both of them have grown up so much!" Camilla said.

"We'll m-miss you!" Sakura said. "Stay safe!"

"Yeah!" Elise said. "And be sure to visit again and again! All of you!"

"We sure will!" Yuffie said.

"Hey!" Cid yelled. "Anybody who doesn't want to be left here, come on in! We're all loaded up and ready to go!"

"Is Lilith in there?" Robin asked. "We need her abilities for the Deeprealm plan."

"I'm right here!" Lilith said, flying out of the room that was made for her.

"Great!" Shulk said. "Everyone's on, so we're all set. Lilith, get ready to make a portal to our world!"

"Wait! Your Majesties!" They heard Felicia yell. Both her and Jakob were running tiredly towards the Skywind, trying to catch it before it took off.

"Felicia?! Jakob?!" Corrin exclaimed.

"We wish to come with you." Jakob said.

"Y-Yeah! You need chefs, don't you?" Felicia asked.

"Welcome aboard!" Shulk said. "We could always use good cooks."

"Oh, thank you!" Felicia said. The maid and butler boarded the Skywind, and as it took to the air, Corrin and Kamui waved to the sides of Nohr and Hoshido, wondering when they would return.

"Lilith, open the Deeprealm portal!" Cid yelled. Lilith did so, and the Skywind flew through, ending up in the middle of the ocean back in their world.

"Where to now?" Cid asked.

Shulk thought. "Let's go north." Shulk finally said. "We'll have the most luck of finding something that way."

"OK! Onward!" Cid pushed the Skywind forward, back from their detour, and ready to start again.

* * *

Somewhere, deep in a mountain range, in a deep cave, a man was laying down, sleeping. He had tan skin, and he had light blue marks all around his face, white, long hair, and light blue tattoos all down his body. He was missing his left arm.

Suddenly, the man woke up, intense blue eyes staring at the ceiling of the cave above him. "I sense many new dragons." The man said to himself. "About eleven. I also sense..." The man smiled. "Anankos is no longer of this world, huh? I guess it's now time for me to take action." The man stood up, and his body started to glow, and in an instant, the man was now a dragon, large black wings with light blue patterns all over its body, and pupil less eyes that showed no mercy. The dragon roared, and took off out of the cave, heading for the new dragons of the world. "These new dragons will fear the name Acnologia!" The dragon roared, and soared to the west, where he sensed the new dragon blood. The battle was now beginning.

 **A/N: Hey everyone! How are you? Real quick, I want to ask something. Some of you out there are probably more creative than me. I am completely stumped on what I want to call this group of heroes I'm gathering. I don't want to call them the Skywind crew forever. I'm just asking if anybody has any ideas as to what to call them. Any and all will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading! See ya all!**


	10. XenoWorlds: Secret Titans Part 1

**A/N: Hey, everyone! So, this chapter is all about the famous anime Attack on Titan. Because of such a...gruesome anime being brought into my story, I changed my story's rating to M. Because of that, I won't be censoring anything, so be warned. Now, it's been brought to my attention that not everyone knows about every franchise I'm introducing into this story. I do a lot of research on each franchise suggested to me, but not everyone does the same thing. So from now on, I'll have a quick summary of where the 'plot' of each franchise is in my story, and I'll continue from there. That brings me to my other point. Some franchises aren't finished yet, such as this one. While I'll be going into spoilers for the Attack on Titan anime and manga, I won't be following the story exactly. That is something I'm scared of in this story. I want it to be something unique, but at the same time, I don't want to insult the franchises I'm bringing into this story. I've changed many characters from their source material in this story, which you can probably tell by now. I'll continue doing this into the future.**

 **I guess what I'm trying to say is, I won't be following each franchise exactly. I am going to make changes to the characters when I want to, but at the same time, keep them true to their franchises in a way that won't hurt my story's uniqueness. I'll be starting in various spots of the lore of each franchise, like in this one, I'm starting where the anime ended, but not where the manga is at this point. In some franchises in the future, I'll be starting at the end of its lore, or at the point of the story that the franchise is currently at. If this is any help, say that once the Skywind shows up, everything will differ from its source material, like an alternate timeline.**

 **Anyway, I thought I had to make this clear. I will be staying somewhat faithful to the source material, but I won't be following it exactly, and I will take creative freedoms when I feel like it. Just a fair warning to anybody confused. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Hey, Shulk?" Robin said, walking into the tech lab installed in the Skywind, finally breaking.

"Oh, hey Robin!" Shulk said groggily, taking off his protective goggles and putting his current project on the work table. "Perfect timing! I want to tell you some things!"

"Shulk-" Robin started, but he was quickly pulled by Shulk over to what Shulk was working on.

"Look at this!" Shulk said, holding up a set of bracelets that looked nearly identical to each other. "I've been working on a new weapon. You know how you can make whatever weapon you can imagine with your elemental suit, Robin? Well-"

"Shulk!" Robin yelled, snapping Shulk out of his trance. "Do you have any idea you've been in the lab?"

"Huh?" Shulk asked. "No. How long?"

"You've been in here for five days." Robin said.

Shulk blinked. Then, he sat down, and sighed. "twenty hours, huh?" Shulk laughed. "I apologize deeply."

"How did you lose track of time for five days?!" Robin exclaimed. "Fiora's been worried sick! We wanted to do something, but we know that when you're in the zone..."

"Yeah, I know..." Shulk said. He sighed. "Ever since Valla, my...powers have come back to me."

"They have?"

"Yes. And... it works differently than before. I'm not sure how, but I... I essentially live every possible future."

"What do you mean?"

"Before, I could only see what was going to happen. But now, out of the millions of different possible futures that can happen, I feel every single effect each of those different futures have on me." Tears started to well up in his droopy eyes. "I feel myself die thousands of times a day based on every single freak accident that could possibly happen. I feel the pain of losing any of you thousands of times a day. I feel the pleasure of sleep all the time. I guess that's why I haven't slept, since I feel like I'm sleeping all the time." Shulk laughed.

"Shulk..." Robin said.

"No, don't worry about me. I didn't tell anyone simply because I didn't want worrying faces surrounding me all the time. There's nothing you guys can do about it, so why make you worry and feel bad for me? And anyway, this power I have isn't necessarily a curse."

"What do you mean?"

"Now that I feel each possible future all the time, I've unconsciously grown stronger. I now know every possible muscle movement I need to do to do things I would've thought impossible a few days ago."

"So now, since you 'feel' the future, you know exactly what muscles you need to use to do a flip? And what movements you need to do to dodge an attack?"

"More than that." Shulk said. "Which brings me to what I've been working on. Tomorrow, will you come to the training area and fight me, with this new weapon I've been working on? I guess I need to get out of the lab and get some sleep."

"That you really need to do." Robin said. "Yes, I'll spar with you tomorrow."

Shulk smiled. "Great! Tomorrow, then?"

"Tomorrow."

* * *

"OK, Shulk." Robin said. "The setting of this battle will be an arena. You just want to test your new weapon, right?"

"That's correct." Shulk said. "As well as train myself on some new abilities."

Robin raised his eyebrow. "Oh? Well then. This'll be interesting." Robin brought an electric blade to his hand, while Shulk summoned the Monado. "Let's go!"

Robin dashed forward, swinging his sword downwards, which Shulk rolled to the side to dodge and stabbed at Robin. Robin quickly created a shield of lightning that stopped the attack, and pushed Shulk back. Robin then blasted Shulk with lightning, which Shulk also dodged. Robin continued shooting bolts of lightning at Shulk from different angles.

"I know what you're trying to plan!" Shulk said. "Those bolts of lightning are part of a trap, aren't they?"

Robin smiled. "So you really can see what I'm planning before it even happens. But how do you plan to stop this trap?"

Suddenly, bolts of lightning surrounded in a large circle around Shulk, and dashed in towards Shulk on every angle, leaving no room to dodge.

Shulk smiled. "Time to see if this really works." Shulks eyes started to glow blue, and the Monado in his hand transformed. "Barrier Mode!" Shulk yelled, throwing the Monado in front of him. It transformed into a small circle, and a beam of light shot up into the air. The beam came down around Shulk, negating all lightning from the trap Robin set useless.

"So this is the weapon you wanted to test out?" Robin asked.

"Far from it!" Shulk said. He grabbed the now transformed Monado and put on Speed art, running directly at Robin. Robin brought up his sword to stop Shulk's attack, which he did successfully.

Shulk smiled, and brought his left arm behind him. "Second Monado, engage!" He yelled. From his left wrist, another Monado transformed into his hands, an exact replica of the one he currently holds in his right hand. He swung at a surprised Robin, who quickly snapped out of his surprise and jumped away from Shulk.

"A second Monado, huh?" Robin said. "Interesting."

"That's not all." Shulk said. "Shotguns!" The two Monados in his hands transformed yet again, this time turning into two one handed shotguns. He fired the one in his right hand, a spray of blue energy travelling directly at Robin, who transformed into a dragon and blocked it with his armored wings. Robin turned back into a human and fired lightning at Shulk, who transformed his left Monado into a shield that nullified the attack.

"Bow!" Shulk yelled, pushing the two Monados together, causing them to combine and transform into a bow similar to the Fujin Yumi. Shulk pulled back the string and fired an arrow of energy at Robin's head. Robin quickly moved his head, the arrow nicking his cheek.

"Some aim." Robin said. "If I hadn't dodged, you would've got me in the head."

"I didn't pull hard enough to hit you in any vital spots." Shulk said. "I was deliberately aiming to nick your cheek."

Robin's eyes widened. "I knew you were going to dodge to the right, you see." Shulk said. "So I aimed to where you would have moved your head, causing the arrow to nick your cheek."

"I don't believe you've ever practiced using a bow before." Robin said. "How come you have nearly perfect aim with such a high skill weapon?"

"I told you I feel the future now, right?" Shulk said. "Well, I can pull on the practice I have of every weapon possible from different futures. Meaning that if I potentially practice and master the desired weapon in one of my future paths, then I can call on that training and skill and use it here and now. Notice how my eyes are still glowing like I'm seeing into the future? That's because I am, to know how to use the bow, and to know when to fire to make sure I do what I want. I know exactly what muscle movements to make, the timing of my shots, and what degree I need to aim to make sure I get a perfect shot."

"Incredible!" Robin said in awe. "Is this the true power of the seers?"

Shulk smiled and transformed the Monados into combat gloves. "Not quite." Shulk said. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He opened his eyes quickly, and swung his left arm to his sides. Then, he disappeared.

"Shulk?!" Robin exclaimed. "Where did you go?!" Robin's question was quickly answered as a strike to his back quickly paralyzed him, and he fell to the ground, not able to move his body.

Shulk then appeared right in front of Robin, smiling like a madman. "Sorry about that." Shulk said. "I struck part of your spinal cord in such a way that it will leave you paralyzed for a few seconds. Here." Shulk grabbed Robin's limp hand and pulled him up, and massaged Robin's back in a certain spot. All of Robin's body movements were quickly returned to him, and Robin gasped, feeling everything work again so suddenly.

"Thanks..." Robin said, rotating his arm slowly to make sure it worked. "What was that?"

"It was-" Shulk started, but his eyes widened, and he turned around, vomiting on the ground.

"Hey, are you all right?" Robin asked.

Shulk coughed, and wiped his face of any extra vomit. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Shulk said. "I guess my organs aren't used to that feeling. To answer your question, Robin, it's the seer's hidden ability. You see, I have the ability to control the flow of time in certain locations. I unknowingly did it back in Valla when we fought Dickson."

"That's how you were able to disappear from my back to the ground near Melia." Robin said. "So did you slow me down?"

"The opposite." Shulk said. "I sped myself up, while leaving time around me normal. When we fought Dickson, I slowed time all around us. That took up a lot of my energy. I thought that the smaller the region I use the ability in, the less energy it will drain from me. I guess I was right. My organs aren't used to travelling at a rate faster than a regular human's process of time, though. That's something I'll have to work on."

"This is incredible, Shulk!" Robin said. "If you can fully master this ability, along with your transforming Monados, then..."

"That was awesome!" The two heard Nora yell, as the entirety of the crew of the Skywind came into the training area.

"You all watched our fight?" Robin asked.

"Yep!" Tifa said. "Looks like we won't need our training sessions anymore, huh, Shulk?"

"They were fun, though." Shulk said. "Maybe I should have some sessions with all of you. Maybe the first one to beat me gets an award?"

"I'd be down for that!" Yang yelled. "Count me in!"

"Me too!" Pit yelled.

"Um, sorry to interrupt." Felicia said, walking shyly into the center into the room. "But Jakob wanted me to tell all of you that lunch is ready. We'll be waiting in the Dining Room. But Shulk! That was amazing!" Felicia quickly walked back out, heading back to the kitchen.

"Come on." Shulk said. "We can talk while we're eating. Let's go!" Shulk walked out, feeling a bit wobbly, but otherwise OK, heading to the dining room for their lunch.

* * *

"Hey, Shulk!" Cid yelled through the com in the ship. "Get to the cockpit, now!" Cid hung up, sounding very worried.

"OK." Shulk said, standing up from the table. "Pardon me. And, Felicia, Jakob, thanks so much for lunch!"

"Our pleasure." Jakob said.

As Shulk got up to the cockpit, he noticed that they were no longer above the ocean. Rather, they were above land. "Glad you came, Shulk." Cid said.

"Cid, why haven't you landed yet?" Shulk asked.

"Well, you see..." Cid said. "There's absolutely no sign of civilization. None whatsoever. We've been above this landmass for about an hour now, but I don't see any human activity. I was wondering, since you've got your whole future thing 'n' all, if you could tell me if we should land yet."

"Ah, I see." Shulk said. "Hold on a moment." Shulk closed his eyes, searching through the flow of time for a solution. Soon, he opened his eyes. "No, don't land yet, Cid. In a few minutes, we'll find a huge wall. We'll land inside of that. We should find civilization there."

"All right, then." Cid said. Suddenly, a burst of lightning struck the ground from the seemingly clear sky, and a few moments later, the ship shook, being hit by something from below.

"Whoa!" Cid yelled. He quickly turned to a monitor, studying it for a bit. "We were hit by something from below... I don't know what, though... The shields protected us from the attack, though we still felt the complete force of the attack. Whatever it was, it packed a punch!" Cid looked behind him, only to find that Shulk wasn't there. "Huh? Shulk?!"

Shulk was gone. He ran outside, onto the deck of the ship. He quickly scanned the ground below, looking for any sign of the attacker. Dust was falling from the bottom of the ship, falling onto the green grass below. Shulk continued scanning the land below, until his eyes landed on two glowing red eyes, a monstrous, beast-like form staring up at him from the protection of the woods, only to disappear back into the woods, not coming back out.

 _So they do exist..._ Shulk thought to himself. _Titans..._

"Oi, Shulk!" Shulk heard Reyn yell. "What happened?! What hit us?!"

Shulk closed his eyes, and turned to his friend. "Oh, it was nothing important." Shulk said. "There's no damage to the ship, so what's the harm?"

Reyn studied Shulk, then sighed. "You're really bad at lying, y'know that, right? Well, whatever! Look ahead of us!" Shulk did so, only to find what he told Cid about.

"Walls..." Shulk said. There were ginormous walls, each standing at around fifty meters. There was a large set on the outside, and two more sets within the larger, creating a strange field of protection of the center.

"They're ginormous!" Reyn yelled, echoing Shulk's thoughts. "Man, if people aren't there, I'm not sure where they could be!"

"There's something else..." Shulk said, squinting, trying to get a closer look at what he saw in one of the inner walls.

"Hey, boys!" Fiora said, walking out. "Come on! Cid said to get everyone into the cockpit!"

"Oh, that's right!" Reyn said. "I completely forgot that's why I came out here!"

"Let's not keep them waiting, then." Shulk said, deciding that he could get a closer look from the cockpit.

* * *

"So, walls?" Cloud asked.

"It would seem so." Zelda replied. "But why would they need walls of that size?"

"Could it be... They're hiding from something?" Pyrrha asked.

"That would seem to be the most likely conclusion." Azura said.

"Not the most likely." Shulk said. "It is the truth. Look below us, inside the first layer of walls."

Everyone looked out the windows, seeing humans below them. "So?" Weiss asked. "There're people down there, like we expect."

"Look closer." Shulk said. "From this height, you shouldn't be able to see humans so clearly."

"You're right..." Sharla said. "If those are humans, then they're gigantic!"

"But they aren't humans." Shulk said. "In this plane, they're a species called Titans, the natural predators of humans."

"Predators?!" Ruby exclaimed. She turned to Yang and whispered, "What's a predator?"

"So, you're telling me that these Titans eat humans?" Robin said.

"That's right." Shulk said. "That's why these walls were built. To keep them out."

"But it seems the first wall has been breached by the Titans." Tifa said. "If any humans were living there, they're probably dead by now."

"Hey, look in the distance!" Tracer shouted, pointing to the east, inside of the second wall.

"Smoke?" Linkle asked. "It doesn't look to be from a campfire..."

"Let's go over there and check, for now." Shulk said. "Cid, land just outside of the city on the east side of the third wall."

* * *

As they landed, Shulk said to hide the ship inside the neighboring woods, so as not to draw attention from any of the residents of the walls. They were able to successfully hide it without anyone noticing it. The group walked out, heading to the sight of the smoke.

When they finally exited the woods, Tracer gasped. "That's..." Tracer said, looking at the sight of a crashed ship, badly damaged. She blinked forward, towards the ship.

"Hey, Tracer!" Cloud yelled. "Wait up!"

Shulk's eyes widened. "TRACER!" He yelled violently. "RECALL BACK HERE! NOW!"

Tracer turned around, looking confused. Suddenly, a large hand grabbed her, pulling her up into the air.

"TRACER!" Shulk yelled.

Tracer breathed heavily, scared out of her mind, as the owner of the giant hand brought her towards it mouth. She was paralyzed in fear, unable to do anything.

Shulk's voice brought her out of her fear. "RECALL! NOW!" Tracer shook her head, and used the accelerator on her chest to warp back in time a few seconds, to where she was with the rest of the group, right before the teeth closed around her.

Shulk pulled out his dual Monados, while everyone else pulled out their weapons. "So that's a Titan..." Cloud said.

"Are you all right, Tracer?!" Linkle exclaimed, putting a hand on a shell-shocked Tracer. Tracer didn't respond. She was completely frozen.

Shulk sneered. "Robin, I need you to get me up to his neck. Can you do that?"

"Yes, I can." Robin said, transforming into a dragon and letting Shulk on his back, flying up towards the Titan's neck. Shulk quickly got on Robin's back, and Robin took off into the sky.

"Hey, Shulk!" Corrin yelled. "Why its neck?!" Shulk didn't respond.

"Robin." Shulk said. "I need you to get around behind the Titan, so that I can strike its nape." Robin nodded, and dashed forward, underneath the Titan's slow moving arm, successfully getting behind the Titan. Shulk wasted no time, and jumped off of Robin's back, pulling out two blades in each hand, and sliced them horizontally through the nape of the Titan, cutting it off.

The Titan roared in pain, trying to lash out one last time, but only succeeded in falling to the ground, dead. Shulk landed on the ground, covered in blood.

"Wow..." Blake said, staring at the fallen Titan.

Robin landed on the ground, turning back to a human. "That was great, Shulk." He said. "But why did you hit his nape? Wouldn't slicing through his chest be easier to take out?"

"Anywhere else wouldn't have worked." Shulk said. "The Titan would've been unfazed."

"What do you mean?"

"Hey, Tracer!" They heard Zelda yell. Tracer, now recovered from her shock, quickly ran over to the wrecked ship. She looked at the wing of the ship, her eyes widening.

 _No doubt about it._ She thought. _This is the Overwatch symbol. How did it crash? These things are built very strong..._ Tracer shook her head. "No time for this!" Tracer said to herself. "Shulk!" She yelled. "Go look for survivors in this area!"

"Got it!" Shulk yelled back. "Split up into groups of three. If you run into any more Titans, give the signal. I'm going to Tracer."

"Understood, Captain." Cloud said.

Shulk twitched. "I told you, I don't like that title."

"Got it...Captain." Cloud said, and quickly split away with Tifa and Aerith.

"Seriously..." Shulk muttered under his breath. He dashed towards Tracer, who was searching the ship.

"Come on, come on!" Tracer said. "Please, someone..."

"Tracer." Shulk said, appearing right behind her. "What's with this ship?"

"Ah!" Tracer yelled, turning quickly and aiming her pistols at Shulk. She sighed and put away her guns as she realized who he was. "Don't scare me like that, love!"

"Sorry, sorry."

"Tra...cer..." A voice said quietly.

"What was that?!" Tracer exclaimed.

"Is...that..." The voice said again. Then the same voice groaned, almost as if the owner was in pain.

"It's coming in that direction." Shulk said. The two of them slowly walked around the corner, appearing in the cockpit of the wrecked ship.

Tracer gasped. "G...Genji!" She yelled. She ran over to a figure lying on the ground. The figure was made of mostly metal, with little living tissue on his body. All around his body, there was glowing green lights, flickering on and off. Two swords were on his back, and his body was greatly damaged.

"It is...you...Tracer." The one named Genji gasped.

"Is he a cyborg?" Shulk asked.

"That's right." Tracer said. "He's another member of Overwatch sent all over this world you created, just like me. What happened, Genji?!"

"Hey. First, we need to get him out of here and repair his body. Then we can ask him questions."

"You're right." Tracer said. Shulk walked over and flung Genji over his shoulder, and walked out of the ship.

Once the two got outside the ship, Shulk laid Genji down gently, and made a gun out of his newly created weapon. He aimed it high into the air, and shot three rounds into the sky, so that all could see. "That should be a good signal."

Sure enough, a few minutes later, everyone gathered back at the ship. "Sorry, Tracer." Lucina said. "But we couldn't find any trace of survivors."

"We didn't, either." Ruby said.

"Did anyone?" Tracer asked. Everyone shook their heads. Tracer looked down at her feet. "I see..."

"We did find one survivor." Shulk said. "Robin, Cid, Sharla, Aerith, I need your help."

"Oh my..." Sharla said, looking at the disfigured form of Genji laying on the ground.

"A machine-man..." Robin said. "What happened to him?"

"Quickly, there's no time to waste." Aerith said. "Sharla, bring the Materia over here."

"Roger." Sharla quickly walked over to the bag they brought with them.

"We'll get started analyzing his body." Cid said. "Hopefully we'll figure out just what his body's made of."

"Ti..." Genji tried to say. "Tita..."

"Easy now." Aerith said. "Just rest. We'll take care of you now."

Genji nodded slightly, obeying Aerith. They pulled him away from the wreckage of the ship, the four of them working on Genji in solitude.

"I have a question, Shulk." Cloud asked. "We saw that the Titans invaded only the first wall, not the second. So how come a Titan was here, in the east side past the boundaries of the second wall? And why did you only attack the Titan's nape?"

"F-F-Freeze!" A voice yelled. Everyone turned to the source of the voice. What looked to be a soldier stood on the top of the wall, shaking visibly. "S-S-Stay where you are! D-Don't m-move!"

"Is he talking to us?" Pit asked.

"I don't like 'im." Dark Pit said angrily. "We just saved a man's life, and helped them with a pest problem. What gives him the right to yell at us like that?"

"Oi!" Reyn yelled. "What's yer name?" Reyn unknowingly took a step forward, and the soldier jumped in surprise.

"Don't take another step!" The soldier yelled. "We have c-cannons! We'll blow you up if you don't listen!"

"What's his problem?" Jaune asked. "Aren't we humans too?"

"It might just be he's startled." Dunban said. "We probably don't look like normal civilians carrying around all these weapons."

"Not to mention the fact we are standing in the middle of the wreckage of an unknown ship." Melia said. "I do believe he has reason to be scared."

"Hey!" Shulk yelled. "We mean no harm!"

"How do I know you're not lying?!" The soldier yelled. "No real human could make it here on their own, especially after what happened here!"

"What happened here?" Barret asked. "Like hell we knew 'bout that!"

"We can't trust you!" The soldier yelled. He turned around. "Fire, fire!"

"Wait, wait!" Lucina yelled. "We won't fight!"

However, the damage was already done. The two cannons by the soldier fired cannonballs, travelling at the speed of sound towards the group.

Shulk and Dunban were the first ones to react. The two quickly jumped into the air, and each with one swift strike, cut the cannonballs in half, causing them to explode in midair right above the group. Shulk was able to dodge the flames, but Dunban couldn't. He fell to the ground, grimacing.

"Dunban!" Melia yelled, running over to him. "Are you all right?!"

Dunban ripped off his cloak, which was in flames, and stamped out the flames. "I'm fine." He said. "I just have a slight burn on my arm."

Shulk looked up to the top of the wall. Now there were more soldiers, and murmuring of disbelief among them. "Heh." Cloud said. "Looks like you two freaked them out."

"What are you standing around for?!" The soldier from before yelled, now shaking uncontrollably. "Load the cannons once more!"

"Wait!" A voice came from down the field.

"Now what's happening?" Kamui asked.

From the field south of where they were now, six people on horses galloped over to where the commotion was happening.

"These people truly don't mean any harm!" One of the horseman, a short woman with long blonde hair and innocent eyes said.

"They defeated a Titan in this wreckage, saving all of you!" Another horseman, a man with a shaved head said.

"Those cloaks..." The soldier on top of the wall said. "You're Survey Corps, aren't you?"

"That's right!" A man with military-cut blond hair yelled. "And we saw everything!"

"Let these people in the walls!" a tall man with long black hair said. "They have done nothing wrong!"

The soldiers on the wall looked to each other, hoping one of them will take control. Finally, an older man stepped up. "Very well." He said. "Open the gates!" He yelled. "Let them in!"

"Thank you so much!" Fiora said.

"It was nothing." A girl with red hair said. "My name's Sasha."

"I'm Christa!" The woman with blond hair said.

"Ymir." A girl with tanned skin and freckles said. "None of you better be thinking of taking my Christa, you hear?"

"I'm Connie." The man with the shaved head said.

"Name's Reiner." The blond haired man said. "This here's Bertolt."

"Nice to meet you." Bertolt said.

"Thank you again for getting us into the walls." Robin said. "I'm afraid we have an injured man, so we need to get him into an infirmary as soon as possible."

Shulk studied the six new members carefully, looking each one of them over. His eyes stayed on Reiner and Bertolt, who started to get a little agitated when Shulk's eyes didn't leave them.

"Is... Is there something wrong, sir?" Bertolt asked.

Shulk didn't answer immediately. "No." He answered finally. He turned quickly, letting Cloud get a glimpse at his eyes fading from a bright blue to a green. "Let's hurry." He walked to the inside of the walls, followed by everyone else.

* * *

Outside of Wall Rose, on top of Wall Maria near the Shiganshina District, a man stood, blond hair and a long beard down his face. He was looking at the smoke billowing from the wrecked ship. He scowled. "Damn." He said. "Didn't kill them all with that boulder. And that one ship, the one that flew right above just a few minutes ago..." The scowl faded on his face. "I felt strong magic power from inside the ship. There were a lot of bodies on board. Most of them didn't have strong magic, but there was one that..." He lifted his head, eyes wide in fear. "That damn beast! He must've felt it too! That immense magic power... Why is he coming this way, though? He should know this is my sector." He sighed, and jumped off the wall. In the middle of his free fall, he bit into his hand, and transformed into a Titan in midair, landing undamaged. His Titan form was large, gray, with hair all over its body, something like an ape. "I need to hurry to the Capital." The man said. "Hopefully I can take care of everything there." With that, the Titan took off, running along the outskirts of the Wall, running towards the east side.

* * *

"Move it, move it!" Cid yelled, helping to place Genji on a stretcher that was prepared for them. "Important stuff to do here!" Him and Robin carried the stretcher, and ran to the nearest infirmary, with Sharla and Aerith running on either side, keeping Genji on.

"I hope he'll be OK..." Christa said.

"Those four know what they're doing." Reyn said. "That ninja'll be back stronger than ever!"

"He was already strong to begin with, too!" Tracer said. "You should see him in action!"

"What was all the damn commotion?" a deep voice said from the hallway that they just took Genji down.

"Ah!" Connie said. "Captain Levi!" He bowed deeply, and the rest of the Survey Corps bowed as well.

Three men came out of the hallway. One was tall, his hair short, and his face resembled that of a horse. The other two were both shorter, one with long blond hair, and large blue eyes. The other had black hair, and small eyes that looked like they would discover anything you were hiding in an instant. All three were wearing the same green cloaks.

"Now, now." The horsed-faced one said. "You don't need to bow at us, as well!"

"Jean!" Sasha yelled. "You're all right!"

"Yeah, I am." Jean said. "Same with Armin."

"Yep." The blond, Armin, said. "Eren and Mikasa are also all right."

"That's good to hear!" Christa said.

"What about Annie?" Bertolt asked.

"Is it true?!" Reiner said. "Was she really..."

"Yes." Levi said. "She was."

Reiner scowled, and Bertolt suddenly took interest to his feet. "I see..." Bertolt said.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Armin said. "I didn't notice all of you there!"

Ruby coughed. "I'm sorry, what? We have, like, fifty of us here!"

"Ignore her." Shulk said. "I'm the leader of this group here. My name's Shulk. So, your names are Jean, Armin, and Levi, correct?"

Jean nodded. "That's right."

"You six, leave us." Levi said, gesturing to Sasha, Ymir, Christa, Connie, Reiner and Bertolt.

"What?!" Ymir exclaimed. "Why?!"

"Do as your commander says." Levi said, giving them the death stare. "Now, head to our base here, and prepare all equipment you need for a survey."

"...Yes, sir." Reiner said. He turned around, and the other five followed him.

Once they were gone, Armin turned to Levi. "Uh, sir... Why did you send them away?"

Levi ignored him. "Let me get to the point." Levi said, walking up to Shulk. "You group have come from outside the walls, haven't you?"

"What?!" Jean said. "That's impossible! With a group this big, all the Titans in the world would have come to attack them!"

"Yes, that's right." Shulk said. "We are from outside the walls. We came in a flying ship we call the Skywind, travelling around the world in search of warriors willing to create a peaceful world."

Levi's face didn't change. "Just as I thought." He said.

"So, how did you run from the Titans?" Armin asked. "You saw how dangerous they all are!"

"Truthfully, our first time ever even seeing a Titan was about an hour ago." Melia said. "Titans only seem to exist here, around the walls."

"That...can't be..." Armin said. "Then...we're the only ones being hunted?!"

"Jean, Armin." Levi said. "Go and prepare your equipment. What you have just heard will not be shared with anyone. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Jean said, looking like he wanted to argue, but he didn't. "Come on, Armin."

"...Right." Armin said. The two left the same way Sasha, Ymir, Christa, Connie, Reiner and Bertolt went.

"Let me tell you of what happened in this city." Levi said. "You have come at a horrible time. This city was just attacked by a Titan known as the Female Titan."

"Female Titan?" Tifa asked. "Now that you mention it, none of the Titans we saw were female..."

"The Titans have no gender." Levi said. "They're strong, too. Aside from their napes, they're immortal."

"So that's why you wanted to attack the nape, Shulk." Robin said. Shulk nodded in response.

Levi's eyebrow raised. "You knew of the Titan's weak point, even though you just said you first saw a Titan today?"

"That's right." Shulk said.

Levi continued to leave his eyebrow raised. It unnerved Shulk a little, having someone shorter than him eye him so intensely. "Shulk, was it? I want you to follow me." Levi finally said. He looked over the group carefully, and looked at Cloud. "And you, with the gigantic sword. You come as well. The rest of you, stay here."

"Hey!" Barret yelled. "Who the hell are you, giving us orders! Why-"

"Enough." Cloud said, cutting Barret off. "This isn't our land. We must obey the ones who are in charge here."

"Come on, Cloud." Shulk said.

"Right." Cloud said. Him, Shulk and Levi all took off down the hall, leaving the rest of the group behind.

"So." Yang said. "What now?"

* * *

"I can't believe it." Armin said. "There are people out there who live free of Titans..."

"I know." Jean said. "If they can live free from them, I wonder if we...?"

"Yeah..." Armin said. "I wonder what it's like, being able to be free of walls whenever you wanted."

"Hey, Armin." Jean said. "Follow me." Jean turned down an alley, leaving Armin to follow.

"What are we doing back here?" Armin asked.

"It's a shortcut I found." Jean said. "It's perfectly quiet, and we can talk about what we learned all we want right here without anyone hearing us."

"Are you certain about that?" A voice said.

Jean and Armin were quick to react, pulling out their swords. "Who's there?!" Jean yelled.

Suddenly, black smoke shot out at Jean, almost grabbing him, and slamming him into the wall behind him. "Jean!" Armin yelled. The black smoke let go of Jean, letting him hit the ground, unconscious.

"Don't worry." The voice said. "He isn't dead."

 _I can't tell where his voice is coming from._ Armin thought. _It sounds like it's all around me._

"After all, I only need you." A force connected with the back of Armin's head, and he fell to the ground.

Before Armin lost consciousness, he saw a figure materialize out of smoke, wearing all black. That was all Armin saw before he fell asleep.

* * *

"Are you all right, Eren?" A man said, looking at a boy who was laying in bed, with a girl next to him.

"I'm good, Commander Erwin." Eren said. "Mikasa's been looking after me, after all." The girl, Mikasa, nodded.

"That's good." Erwin said.

"Yes, very good!" A woman with glasses said.

"Ah! Hanji?!" Eren exclaimed. "Where were you hiding?!"

"Ignore her for now." Erwin said. "We need to mobilize soon. The sooner we can move, the sooner we will take back Wall Maria, and finally figure out what's in your basement."

"Right." Eren said.

"Erwin." Levi's voice came from behind the wall.

"Come in, Levi." Erwin said. Before Erwin even started, the door slammed open, revealing Levi, Shulk and Cloud at the door frame.

"Who are those two?" Mikasa asked.

"They don't look like civilians or soldiers..." Hanji said.

"Erwin, these two need to talk with you. Privately." Levi said.

"Understood." Erwin said. "Well then, let's-"

"No, right here is good." Shulk said. "Everyone here should hear what I have to say."

"OK." Erwin said. "I suppose that's all right. Levi, shut the door."

Levi did so. Once he did, Levi coughed. "Damn, it's dusty in here."

"Eren Jaeger, I suppose?" Shulk said. "And Mikasa Ackerman. I'm Shulk."

"How did you know their names?" Levi asked.

"A hunch." Cloud lied.

Erwin looked at both Shulk and Cloud, clearly unconvinced. "I see." He said. "All right, let's get to the point, shall we?"

"Right." Shulk said. "I guess you could tell, but we are not from the walls. We come from a world outside of the walls, living free of Titans."

"What?" Eren asked. "How is that possible?"

"Well..." Cloud said. "It's like... Um..." Cloud looked at Shulk. "So much has happened since then, huh?"

"Yeah." Shulk said. "I guess I'll start from the beginning."

It was then that Shulk started the story of their journey, beginning at the defeat of Zanza, and the creation of the new world. As he talked, the five Titan hunters in the room felt disbelief, which was shown in each of their faces. Even Levi's face relaxed a little, albeit a small amount.

When Shulk was done explaining, the room was silent. "This is a lot to take in." Erwin said.

"So the reason Titans don't exist where you come from is because you have pulled together multiple worlds from different dimensions into one planet, huh?" Hanji said. "Fascinating!"

"So that small army of yours out there." Levi said. "They're all warriors joining you on your journey?"

"That's right." Cloud said. "Like what was said before, we are gathering warriors from all these different worlds, or as we call them, planes, to become symbols of peace and unity for the world."

"And that leads me to my proposal." Shulk said. "Eren, Mikasa. You both are extremely strong warriors. I wish for you both to join us on our journey."

Mikasa's eyes widened. She let out a small gasp.

"What do you mean, 'you know they're strong warriors?'" Levi said, clearly suspicious of Shulk.

"I know what has happened at this city." Shulk said. "I know that the Female Titan that mysteriously appeared in this city was the soldier known as Annie Leonhart. I also know that the one who stopped her was none other than Eren Jaeger, the Survey Corps' own Titan."

Levi was quick to move. He pulled out his sword and placed it an inch before Shulk's neck. Erwin and Hanji were in a fighting stance, and Mikasa stood up, Eren sitting straight up in his bed. Cloud was also quick. He pulled out one of the small blades from his sword and was prepared to strike if necessary.

"T-That's classified information!" Hanji exclaimed. "How do you know that?!"

Shulk smiled. "Oh, that's right, I left that part out."

"What part?" Mikasa asked, flames burning in her eyes. "The fact that you've been spying on us?!"

"No, not that." Shulk said.

"Stop lying." Levi said, pushing the blade closer to Shulk's neck, drawing a little blood. "That is, if you value your head."

Shulk sighed. "I suppose you won't believe me unless I show you, huh? That's to be expected. I have a proposal. When I say so, Levi, swing your sword at my neck, as if you're about to kill me. My friend Cloud won't do anything about it, right?"

Cloud looked between Shulk and Levi. Sighing, he put away his sword, and took a few steps back. "Guess I have to follow the captain's orders, huh?"

Shulk ignored the C word from Cloud. "How about it?"

Levi smirked. "Guess you don't value your head, after all." With lightning speed, Levi swung his sword at Shulk's neck.

"Too slow." Shulk said, now behind Levi. He had a gun pointed at Levi's head. Levi's eyes widened. The sword that he was once holding was now back in its sheath at Levi's side.

"Levi!" Hanji yelled. Everyone in the room was speechless, including Cloud.

"H-How?!" Eren yelled.

Shulk put away his gun, and stood casually. "The world you know is not the world as it is." He said matter-of-factly. "There are beings more powerful than normal humans, and I'm not just talking about Titan Shifters. I'm talking about people with the power of dragons, people who can move at the speed of light, and, of course, people like me."

"And just who are people like you?" Erwin asked, still wary of Shulk.

"I am a being called a Seer." Shulk said. "I am one with the flow of time. I know everything that will happen in the future, and can control the flow of time around me. I used both to get behind Levi. I saw what he would do, and I slowed down time, taking his sword out of his hand and getting behind him."

"That's..." Mikasa said.

"So, you can see the future, huh?" Eren said, finally speaking up. His eyes grew dark.

"Eren..." Mikasa said.

"So if you can see the future, have you seen us die?" Eren asked, his voice raising. "Have you seen yourself die?! IF YOU CAN SEE ALL OF US DIE, HOW COME YOU AREN'T DOING ANYTHING TO PREVENT THAT?!"

"Eren." Erwin said.

"Do you know what I could have done with that power?!" Eren asked. "I could have saved my mother. I could have saved everyone in Shiganshina. Everyone that died during the time I was a soldier, I could have..."

"It's true." Shulk said. "I have seen each of you die, more than once. After all, I see every possible future all the time. It's something like a tree branch, actually. If we go back to my proposal before, if you join me, it would mean placing all your trust in me, which I can imagine is not easy for any of you at all right now." Eren stayed silent. "But there is one thing you need to know. I don't just hear the future. I feel it. I feel the pain every future brings to me. Everything that can happen in the future, I feel the effects of every second of my life."

"Then..." Mikasa said, calming down. "Do you feel the pain...of death?"

Shulk was quiet. Cloud looked down to the ground, feeling sympathy for Shulk. "Yes." Shulk said quietly. Eren looked up, his eyes huge. "I feel the pain of death. I feel the pain of losing any of my loved ones as well. It feels just as real now as it will when it might happen." Shulk laughed quietly. "You'd think you'd get used to it, but I haven't. I'm merely laughing my way through it, reminding myself that it hasn't happened yet, that what's happening right in front of me is what's real." Shulk wiped his cheek, trying to hide the single tear that fell from his eye.

"Wow..." Hanji said. "Th...That must be hard."

"Yes, it is." Shulk said. He stood up, now smiling. "I believe now I have given enough proof that I'm not lying about anything?"

"...Yes, I guess..." Eren said.

"So, how about my proposal?" Shulk asked. "Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, will you join us on our journey?"

"Eren?" Mikasa asked.

Eren was quiet for a while. Then he looked up. "Only if you take one other with you." He said. "Armin Arlert. You're going to see the sea, right? I promised him that all three of us will see it together."

"Sure thing." Shulk said. He extended his hand to Eren, who shook it. "Welcome aboard the Skywind."

Cloud walked over to Erwin, who was still quiet. "Is it all right, as Eren and Mikasa's commander, if these two come with us, as well as Armin?"

Erwin looked at Cloud in the eyes. "It should be fine," he said. "Only if what you said about us being free from the walls is true."

"Yes, it is." Cloud said. "We'll be able to set up some Deeprealm portals, and once we do that, anyone is free to go anywhere in this world."

Erwin smiled. "At last." He whispered to himself.

"Commander Erwin!" A soldier burst into the room, breathing heavily. "Important message?"

"What is it, soldier?" Erwin asked.

"The king just sent this message out to all towns Wall Rose and inward!" The soldier proceeded to pull out a piece of paper.

"That bastard?" Levi asked.

"'By order of the King, all residents inside the walls must gather in the center of the town they are currently in, and go through a Titan Shifter test, to decide who is a threat or not.'" The soldier repeated. He put away the piece of paper. "That is all."

"You are excused." Erwin said out of habit. He sat down on a side desk. "Why now?" He asked.

"You can't disobey the king, right?" Cloud asked. "We should probably get going."

"Right." Mikasa said. She pulled Eren out of bed quickly, much to his surprise. "Get ready, Eren."

"...Fine." Eren said. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he didn't.

* * *

"Hello?" A faint voice came. "Hello, are you responsive?" Slowly, Genji opened his eyes. His vision was slightly blurred, but he could make out a feminine figure in front of him. "If you can hear me, I need you to lift your arm to your face." Genji did so, looking at his own arm. "Good." The voice said. Genji's vision started to clear, and he could make out a dark-skinned girl with amber eyes. "My name's Sharla. You're OK now."

Genji looked at his body. His eyes widened, though nobody saw it. "You..."

"Yep." A voice came to his left. "Name's Cid. This kid Robin 'n' I fixed you up. You're welcome."

"Th-Thank you." Genji said slowly.

"Genji!" A familiar British voice said.

"Tracer?" Genji asked.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're OK!" Tracer said. "I was so worried when we found you pinned in the wreckage of that ship!"

"Wreckage...?" Genji asked. "Oh, right..."

"About that." Robin said. "What happened?"

Genji looked at his legs, trying to remember. "I was given this sector back at Gibraltar, while you were given that floating island, Tracer. It took my crew a while to leave, but when we did, we were attacked. This monster threw boulders at us, taking out a few of our engines. When I came to after we crashed, I was pinned under debris. None of my other crew was around. When I looked up, I saw more of those...monsters."

"Titans." Dunban said. "Where did they come from?"

"We couldn't find any other members of the crew of that ship." Weiss said. "Do you think that..."

"The crew turned into Titans?!" Morgan exclaimed. "But how?!"

"A mystery for another time." Lucina said, looking out the window. "There's a line gathering just outside. We should go see what it's about."

"Right." Robin said. "Can you stand, Genji? Are all your joints feeling OK?"

Genji moved his arms and legs, and was surprised to find that he could move them flawlessly. "They're perfect." He said. "Thank you." He stood up, hobbling a few steps, but was able to steady himself, and was soon walking normally.

"All right." Tifa said. "Let's go. Shulk and Cloud are probably done by now, anyway."

* * *

A man was standing just outside of Wall Sina, near the wreckage of the Overwatch ship. He tusked. "That was pretty good, for a test." He said, flipping a vial of white gas in his hands. "If I can just mass produce this, then..." He sighed. "Though it doesn't look like I was able to change the man that was half-machine into a Titan, huh? I also couldn't get any variety other than the standard fifteen meter class... Well, Queen Eviela will be pleased with the results either way." He smiled. "It looks like the Dumari Kingdom has a new weapon they can use in their favor, with a few tweaks here and there." He laughed to himself, walking back into the forest, where he disappeared from sight.

* * *

"Thank you all for being here!" A Garrison soldier yelled. "We are sorry for pulling you out of your houses on a nice day such as this, but this is a very important duty the king has entrusted us with! With the destruction of this city, we cannot hide it anymore! We have confirmed the existence of Titans that can transform into humans!" There were collective gasps all around.

"Damn that fake king." Erwin said under his breath. "He shouldn't have shared that information."

"But because of this new information, we were able to determine how humans are able to transform from human to Titan, if they truly are, as we call, Titan Shifters! And so, we ask that every civilian will undergo this test, including children! If you run, you will be considered Titans, and will be killed on sight! If you undergo the test, and are found out to be a Titan, then you will be arrested, but if you retaliate, we cannot guarantee you'll live! Is that all clear?" There was a collective silence. "Good! We will start with alphabetical order by last name! Line up now!"

Eren and Mikasa joined the rest of the Survey Corps in the middle of the explanation. "Can you believe this?!" Connie exclaimed. "They're taking it too far, if I say so!"

Mikasa looked at her friends. "Where are Armin and Jean?"

All of them looked around, not finding either of them. "I don't know." Reiner said. "Maybe they got lost?"

"Hey, you group!" The soldier from before yelled. "Line up!"

"Right!" They all yelled simultaneously. Mikasa and Levi got up toward the front, while everyone lined up accordingly behind them.

"Do we need to line up too?" Nora asked.

"No need." Shulk said, walking in with the rest of his friends. "They have no records for us, so they won't ever call our names."

"Shulk!" Fiora said. "How was it?"

"Perfect." Shulk said. "After this, we got three new members aboard our ship."

"That's wonderful!"

Finally, the soldiers started calling names. The test was easy: draw your own blood while giving your full attention to picking up a fork, without actually picking it up. Shulk noticed Reiner, Bertolt, and Ymir. All three of them seemed nervous. Shulk decided not to point it out.

"Levi Ackerman!" They called, and Levi walked up to the test area. "You know the drill by now." The soldier said.

"Yeah, yeah." Levi said. Quickly, he drew blood, and looked at the fork, giving his full attention to it. After thirty seconds, the soldiers let Levi go. "There was no need for that damn test anyway." He murmured to himself as he walked over to where Eren was standing.

"They might have good reason for doing this." Eren said. "It might actually make our job easier, finding all the Titans inside the walls."

"Mikasa Ackerman!" The soldier yelled. Mikasa walked forward, still looking as determined as ever. "I'm sorry, but may I ask that you remove your scarf?" The soldier asked. "It might get in the way, and-" The soldier didn't finish, gulping nervously as he met Mikasa's gaze. "O-Or not, it doesn't matter, really. Complete the test whenever you're ready."

Mikasa picked up the knife. Her breath caught in her throat for a bit. She froze for a while, and the soldier walked over to her. "Ms. Ackerman? Are you all right?"

"Y-Yes." Mikasa said. "It's nothing. Just a bad memory." Not waiting any longer, she picked up the knife, and sliced her finger enough to draw blood. She focused all her attention on grabbing the fork. Her eyes widened as she felt her heart pounding strongly. She screamed as she felt her arm extend. There were screams from, all the civilians.

"No way..." Sasha said.

"M-Mikasa..." Eren said quietly.

Mikasa opened her eyes, which slowly widened as realization dawned on her. She had just created a Titan arm. In the Titan hand was the fork. In fear, she ripped her arm out from the Titan's arm, and fell down on her butt. She was breathing heavily, hearing Eren's voice in the distance, calling her name.

"Arrest her!" Came the call of the soldiers. She felt hands grab her from behind, pulling her away.

"Mikasa!" Came the scream from Eren. She saw him run towards her, ready to fight the soldiers taking her away.

"Eren!" She yelled.

"Why you...!" Another soldier yelled. He came from behind Eren and hit Eren in the head with the butt of his rifle.

"EREN!" She screamed even louder.

"Put her to sleep." Another soldier said. "Take both of them to the capital."

A soldier hit her on the head, and she fell down barely keeping consciousness. Before she fell asleep, she heard one of the soldiers. "What do we do about everyone else?"

"We'll do them at a later date. We've already made a big enough scene as it is." Then Mikasa lost consciousness.

* * *

 _24 Hours Later..._

* * *

"Wake up, come on!" A scream aroused Armin out of his unconsciousness. He looked around, and started to panic. He didn't have a shirt on anymore, which freaked him out. He was strapped on a board like he was about to be crucified. He couldn't loose the bonds, since they were made of the same smoke that attacked him and Jean. However, he didn't have anything covering his mouth.

"Ah, there you are." A voice said from behind him. The man that attacked them walked out, still wearing the same black cloak.

"Who are you?!" Armin yelled.

"Oh, I never introduced myself, did I?" The man bowed. "My name's Hraevir, good to meet you. You're going to ask why you're here and what I want from you, right?" Armin's eyes widened. "Yes, yes, I can read your mind." Hraevir said. "Or something like that. Anyway!"

Hraevir walked back and forth. "It's been about 24 hours since you were last awake. I was able to transport you to the Capital, in an unused building which is perfect for what's about to happen. Your friend's safe, probably. I left him in the alley, so he's probably awake by now. Maybe a horse wanted to fuck him? He does look like one after all." Hraevir chuckled at his own joke. "As for what I want with you, well..." A whimper was made behind Armin.

"What is..." Armin asked.

"Oh, that's the sacrifice!" Hraevir said. "Poor little girl. She just wanted to move into the capital. She never asked to be a Titan. And now she's being used as a sacrifice to make someone else a Titan!"

"W-What?!" Armin exclaimed.

"I'm making you a Titan, you idiot!" Hraevir said. "We need you to be one for the plan."

"What plan?!" Armin asked.

"You'll find out eventually." Hraevir said. "Of course, you won't remember any of this. One of my friends is good at erasing memories. He was even the one who made this serum!" He swished a white liquid in his hand. "Now, let's get this over with, huh? The time's almost come." Hraevir brought the needle closer to his right arm.

"N-No!" Armin yelled. "Please! Stop!" The muffled screaming and crying from the unknown girl behind him filled his ears as Hraevir stuck the needle into his arm. Armin's eyes bulged, and he felt his body growing, ripping the bonds that restrained him. He felt himself lose control of his body, and watched as he picked up the girl behind him, now nearly fifteen meters tall, and brought her to his mouth, as she cried and screamed and kicked. He felt himself bite down around her waist, and the kicking suddenly stopped. And once again, he lost consciousness.

* * *

"Eren... Eren!" Eren woke up, sitting straight up, banging his head on Mikasa's.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Eren yelled, holding his forehead. He looked at Mikasa hovering over him, unfazed at the collision of their heads. "Mikasa! Where are we?"

"In jail." Mikasa said. "I don't know where. I only woke up a minute ago."

"Oh..." Eren said. _So I'm here again, huh?_ He thought to himself.

Mikasa was quiet. "Eren..." Mikasa said. "You saw...right?"

"Yeah." Eren said. He was quiet for a while. "Did you know?"

"...No..." Mikasa said. "I didn't."

"Then you didn't lie to me." Eren said. "That's good for me. I didn't know until about a month ago about my powers, as well. I wonder how we got them."

"Do you think...it was your father?"

"...Maybe."

Steps came down the stairs, and the two of them looked up, and saw a prison guard come down the stairs. He unlocked their cell door, and chained their handcuffs together. "Come on, you two!" The guard said, pushing them forward.

In a rare act of fear from Mikasa, she grabbed Eren's hand, which was close to hers, squeezing it. Eren didn't let go.

When they went up the stairs, they walked down a dark hallway, until they reached a door. The guard opened the door, and the two were blinded by sunlight. They were in a court room. The guard pulled them over to a pole, hooked their cuffs onto the pole, so that they were each on either side of the pole. Eren saw Levi and Hanji, as well as all his comrades from the 104th Trainees Corp, including Jean. However, he couldn't see Armin anywhere. Mikasa, on the other hand, saw all of Shulk and Cloud's comrades, who she was able to pick out earlier, but couldn't find Shulk or Cloud.

The judge at the front banged his hammer on the desk. "All right, settle down." He yelled. "Let the case of Eren Jaeger and Mikasa Ackerman begin...now."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this took a long time. There were many things that happened in my life up until now, which not only gave me even less time to work on this chapter, but also lowered my resolve to work on this story. Plus there was also a lot of ideas for this chapter I went through to get it to where it was. It is a 2 part story, like the last one, but I hope no one's annoyed. Like I mentioned at the beginning, I was going to make changes to the lore of Attack on Titan for this chapter, and that's exactly what I did. It's what I wanted to do for my story, and in the next chapter, you'll find out part of the reason why I gave Mikasa and Armin Titan Shifter abilities. Yes, I'm sorry, I'm hiding a lot of stuff! I've left hints to a lot in this chapter, some big, some small. Go ahead and look and theorize however much you want. This is Uniblades, signing off.**


	11. XenoWorlds: Secret Titans Part 2

**A/N: Hey everyone. Here's the second part of Secret Titans. This is probably my most ambitious section of the story yet, and I made some decisions that might be controversial to some. Just know that I do everything for a reason, no matter how big or small. Anyway, what happened last time is that Mikasa was able to turn into a Titan, at least, partly. Why? That will be answered here. Armin, as well, has been given a titan serum by Hraevir. Now, Mikasa and Eren are on trial, Mikasa for being part Titan, and Eren for retaliation, and lying to the court, since last time he was in court, he made a statement saying Mikasa wasn't a Titan. Now that you're caught up, enjoy!**

* * *

 _A few hours before the court session..._

* * *

"Erwin." Shulk said. The commander of the Survey Corps turned to see Shulk and Cloud behind them on horses, as they were travelling towards the capital for the court session.

Erwin turned his head. "What do you need?"

Shulk galloped close to Erwin, close enough so that they would only be heard by Cloud. "I know that Annie Leonhart is deep underneath the capital." Erwin's eyes widened slightly. "Something bad will happen, so please, take us two there."

"What do you mean, bad?" Erwin asked.

"...I can't tell you that." Shulk said. "Otherwise, the path of time will change for the worst."

Erwin was silent. "Very well." He said. "Us three, then, will go down to where she is and protect her with our lives."

Cloud nodded in approval. "Good." Shulk said. The rest of the trip was silent.

None of the three noticed that Bertolt was close enough to hear their conversation. He fell back towards Reiner. "Annie's deep underneath the Capital." He said.

"Good." Reiner said. "I'll follow them, and see where they go. We'll need to wait a little bit, but we will rescue Annie. I promise." Bertolt didn't reply.

"Shulk." Robin said, galloping up to catch up to him, "Why did you want me to bring this?" Robin gestured to a machine strapped to the side of his horse. "You know it isn't fully tested yet."

"It'll work, trust me." Shulk said. "Listen. I won't be at the trial, so I'm leaving that up to you."

"You won't?" Robin asked. "Why?"

"I...need to check on something." Shulk said. "Never mind me. Free Eren and Mikasa, no matter what. Can you do that?" Robin nodded. "That's good."

"Hold!" Erwin yelled. "We're almost there! The capital!"

* * *

"Let the case of Eren Jaeger and Mikasa Ackerman begin...now." The judge said, banging his hammer on the pulpit.

"I'll get right to the point." The judge said tiredly. "Mikasa Ackerman, you are on trial today because of the new information that you are, in fact, a Titan Shifter. Eren Jaeger, you are on trial for attacking the Garrison who were conducting the test, as well as lying to the court."

"Lying to the court?" Eren asked. "When the hell did I do that?!"

The judge coughed. "If you recall the last time you were here in court, Ms. Ackerman here was accused of being a Titan Shifter, and you defended her, saying she wasn't. Because you lied to the court, combined with retaliation, we had to run a second trial for you."

"Since when the hell was lying to the court a punishable law?!" Levi exclaimed.

"Since the discovery of Titans within the walls." The judge said simply. "Now, many have seen you succeed in creating a Titan arm, Ms. Ackerman. There is no doubt that you are a Titan Shifter. Were you aware of this fact before that incident?"

"...No, sir." Mikasa said quietly.

"I see..." The judge said.

"Your Honor, she is lying!" A Garrison officer yelled. "I've seen her fight before. There is no possible way that any human could have that kind of power, let alone a woman! Only a Titan could hold that much power!"

"Hey!" Yang yelled from the other side of the courtroom. "Us women are strong, too! She very well could have that much strength even if she wasn't a Titan! What kind of evidence is that?!"

"Settle down, girl!" The judge yelled. "Might I remind you that all of you there are merely spectators? We cannot take anything you say as evidence to use for these two here! And you know why? Because you aren't citizens of Wall Sina, or even Wall Rose! You should consider yourselves lucky we are even letting you watch this court session. Now settle down!"

Yang gritted her teeth, but remained silent. _How am I going to use this machine now?_ Robin thought to himself. _This court won't even let us participate. How will I..._

"We have known for a while of Mr. Jaeger's ability to transform into a Titan." The judge continued. "However, he was, and still remains, a wild card. The fact remains that he's a Titan. And now we know that Ms. Ackerman is also a Titan. If we wanted to, we could have you both executed on the spot. But we are giving you a chance to free yourselves. We have three questions for you. Answer them truthfully, and there's a good chance we'll let you both go. First question: Do you know of any other Titans within the walls?"

"No, sir." Eren replied. "I only know of Annie Leonhart, but I don't know where she is now."

"It is the same for me." Mikasa said.

"Hm..." The judge said. "And you are both answering truthfully?"

"Yes." They said in unison.

The judge nodded. "Does anybody in this courtroom know the whereabouts of Annie Leonhart?"

"She is currently under custody of the Survey Corps." Levi said.

"And the Survey Corps did not know of Ms. Ackerman's ability?"

"No." Hanji said. "We only knew of Eren and Annie, not Mikasa."

"Very well." The judge said. He wrote down something in his notes. "Second question: Did you gain your powers from another source? Or were you born with the ability to become a Titan?"

"I don't know." Eren said. Mikasa simply shook her head.

The judge raised an eyebrow. "You both do not know the origin of your ability? Hm..." The judge once again wrote down in his notebook. "Final question. What reasons can you give us to make us trust you? After all, from what I see, you are not answering truthfully."

"What?!" Eren exclaimed. "We told you the truth!"

"It seems very unlikely that you would both forget how you gained your abilities. You promise you are not lying?"

"Yes!" Eren yelled. "We aren't lying!"

The judge sighed. "Very well. I have made a decision. Eren Jaeger and Mikasa Ackerman will both be put to death. Court adjourned.

"What?!" Jean exclaimed. "What kind of court is this?!"

"The two are lying." The judge said. "Lying in court is a crime punishable by death."

"We're telling the truth!" Mikasa said.

"And how do I know that that isn't a lie as well?" The judge asked. Mikasa remained silent.

"I hate this damn monarchy..." Levi muttered to himself.

"There really isn't anything we can do this time, is there?" Hanji said, looking worried.

"There has to be something we can do!" Connie exclaimed.

"Court adjourned? Like hell it is!" A voice came from the center of the courtroom. All eyes fell upon the source of the voice. There, standing in front of Eren and Mikasa, was Robin.

"I thought I told you you had no say in this courtroom!" The judge yelled. "I have made a decision, now you must live with it!"

"There is something I noticed while watching this session unfold before me." Robin said. "You never really did give Eren and Mikasa the benefit of the doubt, did you?"

"Of course not." The judge said. "They're Titans, our natural predators! Of course I wouldn't believe them."

"And that makes sense." Robin said. "Only problem is, I was given a mission, and I intend to fulfill it."

"What is that man doing?"Sasha asked.

Robin continued speaking. "I happen to be a tactician, you know. And any tactician knows that when you are aiming to accomplish something, you close off all possible escape options available. Everyone here was so focused on the court session, they didn't notice that all of us 'outsiders' walked to every window, every door, every possible escape option, and blocked them off."

"What?!" The judge exclaimed. Everyone looked around the room. By every window, door, and even weak parts of wood, stood one member of the Skywind, keeping people inside the courtroom. Pit and Dark Pit were even flying at the ceiling, just in case. The judge quickly turned around, only to find a sword pointed to his neck.

"You really shouldn't dis women, Your Honor." Lucina said, holding her sword an inch away from the judge's neck. She gave him a cruel smile. "We're always stronger than we look."

"H-How the hell did you get up here without me noticing?!" The judge yelled nervously.

"All around you are people you don't recognize." Robin said. "People who have come from beyond the walls, with powers you can't imagine." Robin summoned a bolt of lightning in his hand, and let it hit the ground, creating a burn mark by his feet."

"I can control wind." Lucina said to the judge. "Any place that has air, I can bend that air to my will."

Levi chuckled. "I'll be damned." He said. "They sure are good."

Bertolt looked around nervously. _Reiner..._ he thought to himself. _I sure hope you found Annie. We'll be needing her soon._

"What the hell do you want?!" The judge yelled to Robin.

"In the country I'm from," Robin said. "Our courtrooms have a saying. 'Innocent until proven guilty.' I'm here to prove that Eren and Mikasa here are truly innocent."

"Y-You can't do that!" The judge yelled. "I'm the master of this courtroom! Anything I say goes!"

"And who has the upper hand?" Robin asked. He gestured all around him. "Try all you want, but I have a feeling not even all of the military combined could fight us 36 in this room now." The judge gritted his teeth in anger.

"Wh-Who are you?" Mikasa asked.

"A friend of Shulk's." Robin said. "My name's Robin. I'm here to set you free, so that you can join us. That's what Shulk wants me to do, anyway."

"Where is he now?" Eren asked.

"I can't answer that even if I wanted to." Robin said. "Stay quiet for now. We'll get you out of here in no time." He picked up a machine at his feet, and showed it to everyone in the room. "This here is a machine I invented. I like to call it the Memory Projector. It makes memories of the person it is hooked up to into film, even memories they can't recall. This machine is what I'm going to use to prove Eren and Mikasa's innocence."

"Film?" The judge asked.

"You know, moving photos?" Robin said.

"What are photos?"

"Gods, you really are behind in technological advancement, huh?" Robin rubbed the back of his neck, then pulled out two sets of neurotransmitters. He hooked them up to the Memory Projector and put the transmitters on Mikasa and Eren's heads. "This will help us see your memories. It may shock you, but it won't kill you. Once I turn on the machine, many, many memories will be rushing through your heads. I need you both to focus on anything that might give us clues to the origin of your ability. Do you understand?" They both nodded. "Good. And just so you know, this technology is still not complete, so we aren't sure if you might..." Robin coughed, his cough sounding very much like the word 'die.' "Well, here we go!"

"Wait, what?!" Eren exclaimed. He didn't get his answer, though, as Robin turned on the Memory Projector. His vision gave out, and there was blackness for a bit. And then, memories. He saw himself as a kid, saving Mikasa from the bad men, as he called them back then, he saw the day that the Titans broke through Wall Maria, and ate his mother, he saw the day he was eaten by a Titan himself, and so on. He even saw memories that he couldn't recall.

 _Good, it's working._ Eren heard Robin's voice surround him. _Now, Eren, Mikasa, I need you to search through your memories, and find anything that can show the origin of your Titan abilities. I don't know what your lives were like, but if you have any sort of clues you can think of, explore them. Any lead is good._

Eren noticed that Mikasa was next to him, also in the same state. "Eren." Mikasa said, extending a hand to him. "Let's go."

Eren nodded. "Right." He said. He grabbed Mikasa's hands, and they flew through their memories, Mikasa's on the right, Eren's on the left. Sometimes, there would be memories in the middle of the path. They were memories that the two of them shared. They kept going, down and down, the memories older and older.

 _Wait, stop!_ Robin's voice boomed in their ears, causing them to stop abruptly. _That one, right in front of you!_ It was a memory of Grisha Jaeger, holding Eren and Mikasa's hands, pulling them into the woods. _Fly into that memory. I have a good feeling about that one._

"I don't recall that experience at all." Mikasa said. "It's worth a shot." Eren nodded, and the two flew into the memory.

* * *

"Here we go." Robin said, adjusting the Memory Projector so that it projected onto the back wall so that everyone could see. Eren and Mikasa were slumped over, completely lost in their memories. "They're still alive, so that's good." Robin said. "Starting projection...now." He flipped a switch on the machine, and it projected two screens.

"These are memories of Eren and Mikasa." Robin exclaimed. "The screen on the left is Eren's memory, and the right is Mikasa's. It is two memories of the same night, five years ago. Hopefully this will prove their innocence, Your Honor?"

The judge scowled, clearly not liking this one bit. He didn't have time to complain, however, as the memory started.

* * *

 _"Dad, where are we going?" Eren asked. "You show up out of nowhere, and you take us out into the woods? Why?"_

 _Grisha Jaeger, father of Eren Jaeger and foster father to Mikasa Ackerman, was now taking his two children into the woods near the refuge camp. He had to do this now, especially since the loss of Wall Maria, and his wife._

 _"I know this is sudden, and I'm sorry." Grisha said. "But there is something I need to show you two."_

 _Mikasa looked up at her foster father, confused. What could he possibly show us in the woods? She thought._

 _Eventually, they reached a clearing in the woods, and Grisha stopped. He took a deep breath. "I want you both to know that I'm sorry for not being there when... your mother died." Grisha said, choking up at the last part. Tears were welling up in his eyes, threatening to fall. "I wasn't strong enough to protect the ones I love..."_

 _"Dad?" Eren asked, looking confused._

 _"I can't continue to protect you, not anymore." Grisha continued. From his coat pocket, he pulled out two vials, each with a needle at the top. "But I have finally found a way to save us all."_

 _"Are you OK? Grisha?" Mikasa asked, clearly worried._

 _Without warning, Grisha turned around, pinning his two children to the ground._

 _"Dad!" Eren yelled, his eyes widening in fear. "Wh-What's going on?!"_

 _The tears Grisha were holding back now fell freely. "There is something called the Fusion Titan." He muttered, loud enough so that Eren and Mikasa could hear him. "The ability for two or more Titan Shifters to form one Titan shared between them. If successful, it can become the most powerful biological weapon in existence. You will need its power to stand a chance in this war. You'll also need the power of the Coordinate, which I now have within me. The royal family had it before, but I had to take it, so that I could control the Titans with it. But I couldn't. So I'm now passing it on to the two of you. You must use it's power, as well as the power of the Fusion Titan. Only then can you win against not only the Titans, but Marley as well."_

 _"Dad, what are you saying?!" Eren yelled, tears falling from his eyes now as well. "Please, stop!"_

 _"I LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH! REMEMBER THAT!" Grisha yelled with all his might. Then, he injected the fluid into both Eren and Mikasa, and stepped away, watching with guilt as he saw his two children transform into Titans. As Eren picked Grisha up, he uttered his final words. "This is for the good of us all." Grisha said. "This is the only way to save our species!"_

 _Mikasa bit into Grisha's waist, while Eren bit him from the stomach up. The two ripped their father in half, devouring him. The memories ended with Eren and Mikasa turning back into their human forms, and passing out._

* * *

As soon as the memory ended, Robin cut the connection between Eren, Mikasa and the machine, causing Eren and Mikasa to bolt up, both of their eyes wide. Robin had a grim look on his face.

 _I knew it would be dark, but this?!_ Robin thought.

The entire courtroom was silent for a minute. Even the judge had nothing to say.

"That's..." Christa said, a tear rolling down her cheek. "That's...horrible..." Bertolt looked away guiltily, noting that Ymir also did the same thing.

Robin took a deep breath. "As you can see," He started. "Eren Jaeger and Mikasa Ackerman were given their powers by Grisha Jaeger, against their will. It was not their choice to gain them, nor did they ever remember this incident. In my eyes, that's proof enough that they are innocent, right, Your Honor?" The judge still said nothing.

"What's...Marley?" Sasha asked. Her question wasn't answered, however.

"The Coordinate..." Levi mused. "From what I understand, it is the ability to control the Titans."

"And then there's the Fusion Titan." Hanji said. "Two Titan Shifters can combine their powers into one Titan... Incredible..."

"...Incredible?" Eren said, his fists clenching. "That's all you have to say, Hanji?!"

Hanji looked at Eren, his sudden outburst surprising her. "But...isn't this good news? We finally have a way to fight the Titans!"

"No, it isn't!" Mikasa yelled. "We just found out we killed our dad! Did we even need to?! Why...?" Mikasa now had tears flowing, something very rarely seen from her.

"I believe it was, yes." Robin said. "Grisha had the Coordinate, correct? He also said he would give it to you two. Yet that serum seemed to only be used for transforming you into Titans. I think it was necessary for you both to devour him, so that you could still be human."

"Is that why Titans eat humans?" Sasha asked. "So that they...can be human?"

"It would make sense." Hanji said. "But we still have so many unanswered questions..."

Levi jumped the fence and walked over to Eren and Mikasa, who were still tied around the post. He undid the knots, and stood the two of them up. "Suck it up." He said simply. "Get your shit together, and move forward. Both of you." Eren and Mikasa said nothing in return.

"I believe Eren and Mikasa are free to go?" Lucina asked, finally regaining her composure. The judge nodded frantically. Lucina smiled, though it was painful for her after what she just saw. "Good."

 _Those poor kids..._ Lucina thought to herself. _I couldn't imagine putting Morgan in that same position..._

Suddenly, the doors burst open, a man running into the courtroom. "W-We got trouble!" The man yelled.

"What is it?" Levi asked.

"A-A Titan! Inside the Capital!"

"What?!" Hanji exclaimed. "How did it get in?!"

"W-We don't know! But it's strong!"

"Could it be another Titan Shifter?" Ruby asked.

"We need to get out there." Dunban said. "No doubt people are dying while we talk."

"Right." Robin said. "Team Xenocross! Fall in!" No response. "Come on, guys..."

"Is...that a team name?" Lucina asked, flying down to her husband. "Did you come up with it?"

"Is it bad?" Robin asked. "I thought we should actually called ourselves something..."

"No, I actually like it." Lucina said, smiling.

"Yeah! It's actually really cool!" Nora yelled, smiling.

"Enough talk." Levi said. "We need to move. Come on, Jaeger! Ackerman!"

"R-Right..." Eren said. He grabbed Mikasa's hand, and pulled her with him outside of the courtroom, followed by the now named Team Xenocross. However, in the chaos, nobody noticed Bertolt slip away, unseen in the shadows and chaos.

* * *

The Titan roared, smashing a building. "Wow, it's a big one!" Jean said. "15 meter class, based on first look."

"You know what to do." Levi said. "Take it down. Everyone have their equipment ready?"

"Yes!" Eren, Mikasa, Jean, Connie, Sasha, Christa and Ymir yelled.

"Let's go." Levi said, taking off, followed by the rest. On foot, Team Xenocross followed towards the Titan.

The Titan saw the newcomers to the battle, and roared at them, swinging its arm. _Help me... Help me!_ Eren and Mikasa stopped suddenly, landing on top of the roof.

"Armin?!" Eren exclaimed, looking around frantically.

"Where are you, Armin?" Mikasa asked.

 _Guys... I'm scared..._ Armin spoke again, and they finally pinpointed the location of his voice.

"The Titan..." Eren said. "It's roars...it's communicating through Armin's voice... You don't think..."

"It can't be..." Mikasa said. She shook her head. "Come on, we need to tell Commander Levi."

"Right." Eren said, following Mikasa.

On the ground, Robin devised a plan. "All right, right now, we need to weaken this Titan's legs, if at all possible. We'll use the soldiers up above as a distraction. While it's busy, attack its legs with all your might. If the soldiers aren't proving to be enough, us Dragon Riders will go up and help the cause."

Suddenly, The Titan roared, clearly angry. Parts of its back ripped free from their place, and soon, two massive wings pushed the Titan into the air, and kept it up there.

Robin cursed. "Scratch that, we'll just have to improvise." He said. "Go!" They all split up, each trying to think of something they can do to take the Titan down.

"A Titan with wings? That's a first." Levi said. "But it's certainly a problem. We can't reach it with our gear..."

"Commander!" Levi heard Eren yell, and saw both him and Mikasa land on the roof next to him. "We can't kill that Titan!"

"What?!" Connie exclaimed. "Why not?!"

"That Titan is Armin." Mikasa said. "Somehow, he's also a Titan."

"No way..." Sasha said.

"So is everyone a Titan now, or what?" Jean said.

"Armin doesn't have control of his Titan yet." Eren said. "So it's going berserk."

"And how did you know it was Armin in the first place?" Hanji asked.

"I...I can't explain that." Eren said. "I think I can understand the Titan's roars. Either way, you'll have to trust me."

Levi was quiet for a while, but then nodded. "Very well. What's your plan for bringing down the Winged Titan?"

Mikasa looked up into the sky. "Eren and I will bring the Titan down." Mikasa said. "Then Commander, I want you to cut Armin out of it." Levi nodded. "Come on, Eren." The two took off, going to an abandoned place of town.

"What's the plan, Eren?" Mikasa asked, causing Eren to double take.

"I'm supposed to have the plan?!" Eren asked. " _You_ were the one that said we would bring him down! I thought you had a plan!"

"Please, Eren." Mikasa said, staring at him intently. "I know you'll figure out something."

Eren, after coming out of shock, nodded, and paced around, until he snapped his fingers. "I got it!" Eren said. "We can use our Titans. I can throw you as a Titan into the air, towards the Winged Titan. Then, while in midair, you transform into a Titan and take him down."

Mikasa raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that the best you got?"

"Hey! I'm under pressure!" Eren said in defense.

Mikasa smiled. "It works, Eren."

"O-Oh..." Eren said, a slight blush on his cheeks. "Well, we have no time to lose." He bit into his hand, successfully transforming into a Titan. With a clear goal in mind, he picked up Mikasa, and got ready to throw. Mikasa looked into Eren's Titan eyes and nodded, and Eren threw her with all of his might, directly at the Winged Titan.

Mikasa gritted her teeth, trying to fight the wind resistance, biting so hard she drew blood. Because of that, she transformed into a Titan in midair, right above the Winged Titan.

 _Focus, Mikasa._ Mikasa thought to herself. _What can you do, as a Titan?_ She quickly took in her Titan body. It was muscular and slightly feminine, similar to the Female Titan, but more bulky and had skin, unlike the Female Titan. It had long black hair, covering her Titan eyes.

 _I need to cut the wings off of the Winged Titan._ Mikasa thought. She remembered what Hanji had once said; Eren had to keep a clear idea of his goal, and the Titan would complete it. Focusing all of her thought into cutting off the wings, she felt her Titan hand morph. She looked down at it, and saw that the bones were realigning themselves, so much so it didn't even look like a hand. When it was finished, her hand now was a sword.

 _So this is my Titan's ability._ Mikasa thought. Roaring, she came falling down, slicing the wings clean off. The Winged Titan roared, falling along with Mikasa. Not wasting any time, Mikasa grabbed the Winged Titan, keeping it still.

"Now's our chance!" Jean yelled. Him and Levi flew up into the air, nearly using all of their gas, until they reached the two Titans in the sky. Levi expertly cut the nape of the Winged Titan, and Jean grabbed Armin, unscathed. The two flew back down to earth, and Jean quickly laid Armin down, checking to see if there were any injuries. Thankfully, there were none. Mikasa landed with a crash, her Titan finally expired, she freed herself from it, flying over to Armin, where Eren already was.

"Come on, buddy..." Eren said. Finally, Armin coughed, waking up. A smile overcame Eren. "Good..." He said.

"...Eren?" Armin asked. "Mikasa? Is that you?"

"Yes, it is." Mikasa said, also smiling.

"What the hell happened?" Levi asked. "How are you a Titan as well?"

"..." Armin didn't answer. He couldn't answer, even if he wanted to. He had no memory of the event whatsoever. He tried to stand up, leaning on Eren and Mikasa for support. "...I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

"It's OK, Armin." Eren said. "You're safe. That's the only thing that's important."

Robin looked up to the sky, and saw that the Winged Titan was taken down. "Looks like they didn't need us, after all." Robin said, smiling. "They aren't half bad."

"Hey, smart guy." Levi said, referring to Robin. "Fire up that machine again. We need to look at Armin's memories."

"OK. Let's head back-"

Suddenly, lightning struck the ground, near the court house. Everyone looked in fear as the Colossal Titan appeared in thin air, right above the court house. It smashed its hand through the roof, causing it to collapse.

Another bolt of lightning struck, this time just outside the wall of the Capital. Soon, the gate was destroyed, revealing a hairy Titan, slightly taller then the Winged Titan.

"What the hell?!" Connie exclaimed.

"Damn it." Levi said. He quickly took off, heading to the wall. "Everyone, follow me!" He yelled. "Eren, Mikasa, Armin, defeat the Colossal Titan! Move!"

"Yes, sir!" Eren yelled.

"We'll help-" Reflet started, but then, she fell to the ground, screaming. Not just her, but all the Dragon Riders as well.

"What's going on?!" Tifa exclaimed, kneeling next to Yang.

"I don't know." Sharla said, running over to Reflet. "I've never seen anything close to this..."

"What..." Lucina said, gritting her teeth. "What are these memories?!"

"He's here!" Ruby yelled, tears streaming, her eyes wide in fear. "He's here!"

"Who? Who's here?" Reyn asked.

A roar came from the distance. The Xenocrossers looked into the sky, and spotted a large black form, flying in at speeds faster then the Skywind.

"Go!" Dark Pit yelled to Eren, Mikasa and Armin. "You were given orders, now do them! We'll take care of whatever the hell that is!"

"But-" Armin started, now fully recovered. Before he could finish, however, Mikasa grabbed him around the waist, and with Eren, they took off, heading towards the Colossal Titan.

"Why?!" Armin yelled. "Why did you guys leave them?!"

"They're strong." Mikasa said. "I can tell. They can take care of themselves. We have a job, so let's finish it."

Back with the Xenocrossers, the Dragon Riders yet again cried in pain.

"What is that thing?!" Jaune exclaimed. They all pulled out their weapons, ready to fight.

"Don't!" Robin yelled. "You must run! That's..." He grimaced, managing to kneel. "That is the Dragon King. Acnologia. We don't stand a chance."

As soon as Robin finished, the ground shook as Acnologia landed a few blocks away, eyeing the Xenocrossers. It roared, and fired a beam of blue light directly at them.

* * *

"So, you're hiding Annie...where again?" Cloud asked, clearly looking rather impatient.

"We can't talk about that now, Cloud." Erwin said. Only him, Cloud and Shulk were heading to the hiding place of Annie Leonhart. "Besides, we're almost there."

They turned a corner, appearing at the courtroom. They had purposely took the longest route possible, so that they could throw off any trailers that they might potentially have. "We don't know how many allies Annie had. It's best to be safe, just in case."

However, they failed to shake the only one actually trailing them: The Armored Titan himself, Reiner Braun. He saw as the three pulled out a secret door at the back of the court house, and walked inside.

 _I found her._ Reiner thought, smiling. _Time to get Bertolt._ He turned away, waiting for Bertolt to come out of the courtroom.

"So, why the courtroom?" Cloud asked.

"The courtroom has the dungeon underneath it." Erwin explained. "That makes it easier to transfer the accused to the courtroom. However, we usually keep the most dangerous criminals in a different jail, that's much harder to escape from. We figured that that jail would be the bigger target, so we wanted to put her in a different place. It was then we found out about a deep underground storage area underneath the courtroom, used to store food for the criminals. Only the manager of the court house knew about it, and he let us use it. You can now see why we're using it."

They continued down the stairs, and they seemed to go on for forever. Shulk was still silent the entire time. _The court session is over now._ he thought to himself. _Good, Eren and Mikasa were proven innocent._ He sighed. _I was worried, I will admit._

"Here we are." Erwin said, pushing open a door, leading to a big, open room. It was completely empty, except for one glaring feature at the very back.

"So that's her, huh?" Cloud asked. Erwin nodded. In the back lay Annie Leonhart, frozen in a large crystal. The crystal was tied to a pole at the back, Keeping it in place, and potentially from cracking.

"She crystallized herself when she lost a battle with Eren." Erwin explained. "We couldn't get her out, so we decided to bring her down here, and see if we could do any studies on her. Now then." He turned to Shulk. "Why did you want me to bring you down here?"

Shulk was quiet for a while. Then: "In a few minutes, Annie Leonhart will not be here."

"What?!" Erwin exclaimed.

"We need to be ready." Shulk said. "Otherwise-"

Shulk was cut off, as a crashing sound was heard above. Then another. "Get down!" Shulk yelled, pushing Erwin and Cloud to the ground just as a giant hand came crashing down on top of them. The hand reached around, eventually grabbing the crystal Annie was in, and pulled it out. Debris from the court house above collapsed in on the three of them, and buried them completely.

* * *

"Did you get her?" Reiner yelled into Bertolt's ear. Bertolt, now the Colossal Titan, nodded. He retracted his arm, pulling up a large crystal, with Annie in it. "Good!" Reiner yelled. "Now, crush it gently. Be sure not to hurt Annie!"

In no time, Bertolt was able to break the crystal in his large hand. It shattered and fell to the ground. The Colossal Titan opened up its hand, revealing Annie, completely unharmed. Reiner wasted no time, and grabbed Annie, bringing her down to the ground. Bertolt came out of his Titan, and landed next to Reiner and the unconscious Annie.

"Annie, breath." Reiner said. He brought his hands together, and started pushing down on her chest, performing CPR. Eventually, she gasped, sitting up quickly, gasping for air.

"Where..." Annie said, looking around. She saw Reiner and Bertolt, both smiling at her.

"You're OK." Bertolt said. "We've got you, you're safe."

Annie stood up, wobbling a bit, but regaining her composure. "Thank you, Reiner, Bertolt." She said, smiling.

"Glad you're OK." Reiner said. "Now, we need to move. We need to escape."

"What? Why?"

"I used my Titan form to set you free." Bertolt explained. "It was the only way we could. We need to move before-"

"Reiner! Bertolt!" They heard a familiar voice call. All three turned and saw Eren, Mikasa, and Armin land on the rubble next to them. "What the hell are you doing?!" Eren exclaimed.

Reiner cursed. "Not good." He said. "Turns out Mikasa is another Titan Shifter."

"What?!" Annie exclaimed.

"Eren's dad gave both of them a Titan serum." Bertolt explained. "And there's a good chance that Armin is that Titan from before, since it appeared so suddenly, and disappeared right as Armin reappeared."

"So what you're saying is, we have to fight?" Annie asked.

"Looks like it." Reiner muttered. He raised his voice so that the three friends could hear him. "Sorry, Eren. We have to do this. Don't get too mad at us." Once Reiner finished, each one of them drew blood from the rings they wore, transforming into the Colossal Titan, Armored Titan, and Female Titan respectively.

"No way..." Armin said, backing up. "All three of them..."

"Armin, I'm sorry to ask this of you," Eren said. "But I need you to transform into a Titan. You see how I do it."

Armin looked down to the ground. "How will I be able to control it?" He asked.

"Have a clear goal in your mind." Mikasa said. "The Titan will finish that goal for you. Our goal right now is to beat these three. Keep that in your mind, no matter what happens."

Armin nodded reluctantly. "OK." He said. _I'm finally a help to these two..._ Armin thought to himself. _I'm not holding them back anymore..._

"Let's go!" Eren yelled. The three bit into their hands simultaneously, and transformed into their Titans: Eren's Berserker Titan, Mikasa's Morphing Titan, and Armin's Winged Titan. The six Titans stared each other down. And then, they charged each other, starting the Battle at the Capital.

* * *

"How was the gate destroyed?!" Jean exclaimed, as the Survey Corps hurried quickly towards the wall. "And how did that Titan even appear without them sending up an alarm?!"

"No doubt it was a Titan Shifter." Levi said. "Like we didn't have enough of those to keep track of."

"Look!" Ymir yelled. The Garrison and Military Police Brigade were currently fighting the Beast Titan, but to no avail. The Survey Corps watched in horror as the Beast Titan let out a roar, and Titans came flowing into the capital, their grinning faces still ever prominent.

"The Capital has been breached." Was all Levi said. "All of you, go take care of the Titans heading in through the gate. I'll fight the Titan Shifter."

"Roger." Connie said. The Survey Corps split up, Levi heading directly to the Beast Titan. He swung his swords at its arm, but the blades broke instantly on the tough hair covering its entire body. Levi cursed and brought out his flare gun, shooting a flare directly at the Beast Titan's face, getting its attention.

"Man, you are one ugly bastard." Levi said. "I feel like I'll be doing the world a favor, killing you."

 _"That is a bold thing to say, human."_ The Beast Titan said. _"Considering your position."_

"So you can talk, huh?" Levi said. "You really are a Titan Shifter."

The Beast Titan said nothing. It roared, slamming its arm down on top of Levi. However, Levi dodged with his Vertical Maneuvering Equipment, successfully getting behind the Beast Titan. He aimed for the nape, and fired his hooks at the skin. However, the Beast Titan brought up its hand, faster than anything Levi had ever seen, and grabbed the hooks in midair. "What?!" Levi exclaimed, just as the Beast Titan swung Levi down, slamming the captain into the ground. Levi coughed up blood, wincing at the sheer pain.

 _"Humans always are the same."_ The Beast Titan said. _"They always think they're invincible, and charge in, ready to fight. You are just another one of the many I have killed."_

"Don't count me out just yet, bastard." Levi said, grimacing as he pushed himself back up to his feet. "I'm not like everyone else."

 _"Oh? So you can stand? Impressive. Perhaps you'll be some challenge."_ It was then that Acnologia landed, grabbing the Beast Titan's attention. _So he's here._ He thought to himself. _Why? He knows this is my domain. So why would he-_ His thoughts were cut short as Levi took this opportunity to attack, successfully getting one of his eyes. The Beast Titan roared, and attacked Levi, their battle beginning.

* * *

Cloud coughed, struggling to get up. The air was very dusty, and it was pitch black. "Shulk? Erwin?"

"I'm here." Cloud heard Shulk's voice to his left. Shulk pulled out one of his Monados, and activated it, creating a dim light. Cloud's eyes widened as he saw the predicament his captain was in.

"I saw that this would happen, but I wasn't fast enough." Shulk said. He grimaced in pain as he tried to move his legs. His legs were pinned underneath tons of rock. He couldn't move. "I was able to cast Shield on my legs, but they're still broken." Shulk said. "We can't destroy the boulder, either. Otherwise the rest of the cave will collapse in on us. Erwin's over there." Shulk pointed to his right, where Erwin was also pinned, and unconscious. His right arm was also crushed underneath rocks.

"How come I'm fine?" Cloud asked.

"Because of you." Shulk said.

"What do you mean?"

"I was watching it." Shulk said. "As the debris fell, the rocks all seemed to avoid you. They would be about to land on you, but instead went flying into another direction. Because of that, you made this small room we're in now, and you were in the center of it."

"What are you saying?" Cloud asked.

"I'm saying you have some sort of ability you are not aware of." Shulk said. "Which is good, otherwise we'd all be dead."

"Some sort of ability..." Cloud thought. His thoughts were cut short, however, as the ground above them rumbled. "What's going on?!"

"The Titan Shifters are fighting." Shulk said. "It just happens to be right above us." Shulk's eyes widened suddenly. "Cloud! Get Erwin out from under the rubble! Now! The debris is gonna land right on top of him!"

Cloud wasted no time, and ran over to the unconscious Erwin, trying to pull him out, but to no avail. He looked up and saw the boulder above them come loose even more. "Sorry, Erwin." Cloud said. He brought up his sword and came down on Erwin's right forearm, cutting the pinned arm clean off. Erwin woke up, screaming in pain, but Cloud paid no attention. He pulled Erwin away just as the boulder crashed down on top of where they were a few seconds ago, dust blowing from the force of the boulder landing.

Cloud coughed, and pulled off his cloak and wrapped it around Erwin's now bleeding forearm, trying his best to stop the bleeding. "I had to, Erwin. I'm sorry."

Erwin only nodded, barely getting out "Thank you," before he yelled in pain, clutching his right shoulder.

"Couldn't you have given me a warning sooner, Shulk?!" Cloud yelled as he laid Erwin down, and pulled out a Cure Materia, trying his best to patch up Erwin.

Shulk looked down to the ground in shame. "It doesn't work like that. While it's true I saw that that could happen, that doesn't mean it would happen. There are thousands of possible futures that can happen in the span of a few minutes. What just happened is an example of that. There were many futures where the boulder wouldn't fall down, and there were many where it would. It was all a matter of guessing. I guessed wrong, but we were still able to save 's a weakness of my ability. I can't see exactly what's going to happen until right before it does. That's why we're in this situation now. I thought the Colossal Titan would attack later, not when we were down there. I'm sorry."

Cloud looked at his captain, seeing that his eyes were full of guilt. "Don't worry about it." Cloud said. "I can't expect you to be perfect, anyway."

"If it...weren't for you..." Erwin said, trying his best to get out the words. "I'd...probably be dead... I thank you..." He grimaced, and Cloud ordered him to lay down, not to speak.

"In any case, we're stuck here." Shulk said. "I brought some food in case this did happen, but it'll only last us a few days at most. We also have limited oxygen, so only talk if you need to." Cloud nodded.

Shulk looked up to the now rock ceiling above them. _It's up to the rest of you now._ He thought. _I'm sorry we can't be there with you. Stay safe._

* * *

"Protect!" Vincent yelled, bringing up a large shield that completely blocked the beam fired by Acnologia. However, the beam was too strong, and just as Acnologia stop did Vincent go flying, his barrier destroyed, and his energy completely spent. "Vincent!" Yuffie yelled, running over to Vincent's side.

"That's one hell of an attack..." Cid muttered.

"Come on! Let's get 'im before he can attack again!" Reyn yelled, transforming his metal arm into a gun. Barret followed suit, and the two of them charged, followed by the rest of the Xenocrossers, except for the Dragon Riders, who were still in pain.

 _What are these memories?!_ Corrin thought. _These aren't mine!_

"Gah!" Reyn yelled, Acnologia hitting him with his tail. Reyn fell into Barret, the two getting knocked down to the ground.

 _I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared!_ Morgan yelled in her mind. _Help me!_

"We need to take him out!" Fiora yelled. "Hit it with everything you got! Now!" The Xenocrossers each fired at once, from all sides, creating an explosion that could be heard throughout the entire capital. However, as the smoke cleared, Acnologia still stood, not even scratched. All they could do was stare in shock.

 _Why...can't I move?_ Kamui thought. _Why?!_

Acnologia roared, the sheer force pushing the Xenocrossers away from him. They flew through the air, crashing into buildings, rubble burying them all, leaving them incapable of fighting.

Acnologia turned to where the Dragon Riders were still on the ground. Acnologia prepared another beam in his mouth, ready to destroy the dragons.

 _Move!_ Robin yelled. _Move! Like some memories are gonna stop me!_

"GET UP! DRAGON RIDERS!" Robin yelled. A light surrounded the Dragon Riders, and erupted into the sky above.

* * *

 _"Wait up!" A boy with long gray hair yelled. "Hey!"_

 _The group turned to see the boy run up to them. A man with pure white hair knelt down, "Hey, squirt!" He said. He ruffled the boys hair, smiling as he did it. "Why're you here?"_

 _"I want to help you!" The boy yelled excitedly. "Someday, I want to be a powerful warrior! Like all of you!"_

 _"That's cute!" A woman with blue hair said, kneeling down next to the man with white hair. "Maybe someday, we'll teach you our secret magic."_

 _"Really?!" The boy exclaimed, eyes sparkling._

 _"Yeah!" The man said. "But, we have to go right now, so when we come back, we'll teach you, OK?"_

 _"OK!" The boy said. "Come back, please!"_

 _"We will!" The woman said. She stood back up._

 _The man stood up as well and waved to the boy as he left. "Bye, Acnologia! We'll come back I promised!"_

 _"Yeah!" The boy, Acnologia, yelled back. He watched as his heroes walked into the distance, heading off on their next mission._

* * *

Acnologia stared in fear as the light started to retract. When the light disappeared, he saw six dragons, and five riders. They were glowing with power, a power so ancient, and a power Acnologia had not seen for a very, very long time. _It's them..._ he thought. _Not all of them, but..._

The dragons took off towards Acnologia, firing beams of magic. Acnologia roared, the magic piercing his armor.

"Roar of the Summer Dragon!" A young, shrill voice yelled. Yellow fire was aimed directly at his wing, burning it. Acnologia roared.

Acnologia stopped taking the hits, and attacked back. However, his attacks were a lot weaker. He fired a beam at the dragons, but it didn't even scratch them. He walked backwards, trying not to let himself be cornered, as the Dragon Riders attacked back. Explosion after explosion of magic hit Acnologia, each one dealing visible damage.

 _No, stop it..._ Acnologia yelled in his mind. _Stop it, stop it, stop it! I can't fight you! STOP IT!_

Acnologia roared and, finally giving up, turned and unfurled his wings, blasting off, though still rather low. The wing that was hit by Ruby couldn't get the air needed to get him into the air.

As he flew away, he ended up flying above the battling Titan Shifters. He felt some strange power right underneath him, under the ruins of the court house. He hesitated. _It can't be..._ He thought. He didn't ponder long, however, as the Dragon Riders were right on his tail, and knowing he couldn't fight them because of his emotions, he ran. The Dragon King, Acnologia, ran from his childhood heroes.

The Dragon Riders landed on the ground, and, their energy spent, fell to the ground, exhausted.

"What...was that?" Yang asked.

"I don't know..." Azura replied. "But...we did it..."

"Yay..." Ruby muttered, before falling asleep. The rest of the Dragon Riders followed suit.

Soon, the rest of Team Xenocross dug themselves out of the rubble, only to find Acnologia gone, and the Dragon Riders asleep in the street.

"They...fought him off?" Tracer asked. "That's incredible!"

"It must've taken a lot of their energy, though..." Aerith said.

"Hate to be a downer, but..." Pit pointed to the battle going on at the gate. "There's still a battle to fight."

"That's right." Genji said. "Let us go." He ran forward, going as fast as he could to help the military, followed by Tracer.

"Aerith and I will stay here with these eleven." Sharla said. "Fiora, go help."

Fiora nodded. "Right. Come on, friends!" She followed after the agents of Overwatch to the battle still at hand. _I hope you're OK, Shulk..._ She thought. _I haven't seen you anywhere..._ She shook her head. Of course Shulk was fine. He could take care of himself. She instead decided to focus on the battle at hand. She started to run even faster, determined to not let anyone else die.

* * *

"There's so many of them!" Sasha yelled, dodging in the air to avoid a Titan trying to grab her. She looped around its head and sliced its nape off.

"Where the hell are they coming from?!" Jean exclaimed, killing another Titan. "They shouldn't have been able to break in this far!"

"Keep fighting!" Hanji yelled. "It doesn't matter. The fact is that they're Titans! We need to kill them!"

Connie landed on a rooftop, panting. "The thing is, they keep coming!" Connie yelled. "There are still so many!"

"Ah!" A scream came from near the gate. Christa was laying there, her leg broken, surrounded by many hungry Titans.

"Christa!" Jean yelled.

"No!" Ymir yelled, flying in towards her.

"Wait!" Hanji yelled, but to no avail. Ymir only had one goal in mind; to protect Christa. There were too many Titans, though, and not enough time.

Ymir cursed. She had to do it. "Please don't hate me, Christa!" Ymir yelled. She bit into her hand, and her body changed. Soon, she was a 5 meter tall Titan. She wasted no time and charged towards Christa, who was about to be picked up by a Titan.

"Ymir's a Titan?!" Sasha exclaimed.

 _How many does that make?_ Jean thought.

 _"Christa!"_ Ymir yelled through her Titan form. She roared, biting off the legs of a Titan near Christa, and jumped high into the air, attacking the napes of two other Titans. Soon, she took out the Titans surrounding Christa.

"Y-Ymir...?" Christa asked nervously. Not answering, Ymir grabbed the injured Christa in her hands, and ran through the broken gate, taking Christa to the woods.

"Wait, Ymir!" Hanji yelled. However, she was already gone, Christa in tow.

* * *

"Ymir, you're..." Christa said.

 _"Yes, I'm a Titan."_ Ymir said. _"Please, don't hate me..."_

"No, I don't hate you." Christa said. "Thank you...for saving me."

Ymir nodded, careful to avoid all the Titans coming in.

"Where did those Titans come from?" Christa asked.

 _"I don't know."_ Ymir said. _"Right now, that doesn't matter. Here we go."_

Ymir ran into a nearby forest, where no Titans were walking through. Ymir set Christa down at the base of a tree, and came out of her Titan form. "This might hurt..." Ymir said. Then, she pushed Christa's leg so that it was straight. Christa held back a scream of pain, instead contorting her face in pain, causing Ymir to feel guilty.

"Sorry..." Ymir said. She looked around, and found a large branch laying near another tree. She grabbed it and brought it over to Christa. "Use this as a crutch."

Christa did so, struggling to stand up, but still doing it nonetheless. "Hey, Ymir..." Christa said. "Why did you run?"

Ymir flinched at this question. "...I thought that everyone would hate me, since I'm a Titan... But I still had to save you, and I was the closest at the time." Christa nodded. "So I saved you, and decided to bring you here, away from all the danger."

"Thank you, Ymir." Christa said, smiling. _She totally looks like an angel..._ Ymir thought. "You're a good friend."

"Thank you, Christa." Ymir said. She looked around. "We should probably lay low for a while, at least until the fighting is done."

"But..."

"Oh, no. You have no say in this. You're injured! Just lie down, and rest. I'll protect you."

"Are you sure you can keep that promise?" A new voice came from the shadows of the forest.

"Who's there?!" Ymir exclaimed. Before she could transform into a Titan, however, a dart hit the back of her neck.

"Ymir!" Christa yelled. She watched as her friend fell to the ground, struggling to keep consciousness. Eventually, though, Ymir surrendered, and fell to the ground.

"Historia Reiss." Christa flinched at hearing her real name. She turned her head and saw a man coming out of the shadows, a sadistic grin on his lips. "I need to borrow you for a bit." He walked forward and stabbed her with another dart, catching her as she fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

"Targets acquired." The man said. "Time to close these Deeprealm portals." The man waved his hand, and soon, the Titans stopped coming.

* * *

Levi was struggling, which was a first for him. This Titan Shifter, the Beast Titan. It's different. Every time Levi comes in to land an attack on him, the Titan always dodged with speeds that simply couldn't be possible for how big he was. It would happen in the blink of an eye; as soon as he's about to hook onto the Titan's back, he would disappear in the blink of an eye. And then, he would appear a few feet behind him, causing Levi to make quick changes to avoid getting hurt. He wasn't even able to get to the nape once. He was frustrated, but he couldn't help but feel this was somehow familiar...

He decided to try one more time to attack the nape. He rushed forward, but like before, the Titan disappeared in the blink of an eye and reappeared right behind him. It was then that it clicked in his mind. _This was just like with Shulk yesterday!_

Levi wasn't able to dodge this time, and the Titan successfully grabbed him. _"You fought well, soldier."_ The Beast Titan said. _"But now your tale comes to an end."_

Levi closed his eyes. _So this is it, huh?_ He thought. _The one Titan I couldn't beat. It sucks to think I'll be killed by a Titan after all the ones I killed._

 _"Ryujin no ken o kure!"_ A man yelled in some foreign language to Levi. He opened his eyes, and found the hand holding him to be cut off. The Beast Titan roared, holding the stump that was now there. Levi, although shocked, quickly escaped the now dissolving hand of the Titan, and landed on the ground.

His savior was none other than the half man, half machine he saw being carried on a stretcher the other day. He now held a large, green sword in both of his hands, a dragon flying around it, and he was attacking the Beast Titan. He swung so quickly and suddenly the Beast Titan didn't even react when his legs were chopped off. As Levi looked around now, he saw that all the Titans that invaded the walls were killed. He saw the Xenocrossers spread apart, helping the military. He smiled a little. They're a lot better then they look at first glance.

 _"No!"_ The Beast Titan yelled. _"How?! How did you cut through my skin?!"_

"My blade can cut anything." Genji said. "A true swordsman can cut nothing, yet anything at the same time. That is the true strength I have learned."

A loud shriek came from the north. Genji turned to see none other than Acnologia, still struggling to stay in the air, come flying towards him and the Beast Titan, flying very low.

Genji cursed. The Beast Titan took this opportunity and slapped Genji away from him, and, as soon as Acnologia came near them, the Beast Titan grabbed onto Acnologia's neck, and pulled himself up onto his back. Acnologia flapped his wings hard, taking off over the wall.

"Don't let that large bird escape!" the soldiers on the walls yelled. They fired cannonballs, but none had any effect on Acnologia. The two monsters took off as the sun around them set, escaping to the southeast.

The Beast Titan finally came out of his Titan form, panting. "My Deeprealm portals were closed forcefully." He noted. "That's where all the Titans went. It also looks like I wasn't able to get to our Titan Shifters... Damn it." He inspected Acnologia, noting the wounds he obtained. "You have some explaining to do, Dragon Seer Acnologia."

* * *

All through this, the battle of the Titan Shifters raged on. While Eren, Mikasa, and Armin all had strong Titans, Annie, Bertolt and Reiner were all trained to use their Titan forms in battle. Armin was the first one taken out. He went up against Bertolt, flying around the Colossal Titan's head, looking for any opening to get through the steam emitted from his body. However, Bertolt was quicker than Armin had guessed, and more experienced, so he was able to grab Armin out of the sky and throw him down to the ground. Armin's Titan expired, and he lay on the ground, exhausted.

Mikasa and Eren both put up good fights, but they both lost. While Eren had the upper hand in strength, that was all he had. Reiner could take the hits, and was able to pin Eren down, ripping Eren's Titan apart. If it wasn't for Mikasa interfering, Reiner would've killed Eren.

However, that intervention cost Mikasa her battle with Annie. While her morphing powers were strong, being able to transform her limbs into deadly weapons, she couldn't penetrate Annie through her crystallization ability. When she saved Eren, however, Annie was able to kick Mikasa's Titan's head clean off, sending Mikasa tumbling to the ground.

"Mikasa!" Eren yelled, running over to his adopted sister. Armin also crawled over, worried about his two friends.

"I'm sorry..." Armin said. "I...I wasn't strong enough..."

"Don't blame yourself, Armin." Mikasa said, grunting. The three looked at the Titans now towering above them.

"This is it, huh?" Eren said. "We weren't strong enough..."

"I wanted to go see the sea..." Armin said. "I won't get that chance now, won't I?"

"No." Mikasa said. She stood up. "Shulk wouldn't have picked us three to join him if we were so pathetically weak. There's still one thing we haven't tried."

"And what would that be?" Eren asked.

"The Fusion Titan."

"The what?" Armin asked.

"There's no time to explain." Mikasa grabbed the two boy's arms, linking her arms in theirs. "We need to do this. In order to win."

"But..." Eren said. Mikasa cut him off, looking directly into his eyes.

"Stop running, Eren." She said. "And start fighting. Move on, and live, so that we all can live. Us three here are the only things between these monsters and the rest of the world. If we need to become monsters in order to beat them, so be it. All I know is, we need to win. We need to win, so that everyone else can survive!"

"She's right." Armin said. "I may have just become a Titan, and while I do feel somewhat empty knowing that I may be an enemy to humanity, I know that I can use my powers to help humanity, like you do, Eren. Let's do it."

Eren looked at his two childhood friends, and saw their determination. _I can't fall behind._ He thought. _They're right. I cannot give up. Not here._ "Here we go." He said. All three raised their hands up to their mouths.

 _What are they doing?_ Reiner thought. _They're clearly losing. Are they going to try to beat us one more time? It's futile, right?_

"Our goal is simple." The three said in unison. "We want to protect humanity. And the way to protect humanity is to defeat our foes standing before us now! WE WANT THE POWER TO DEFEAT OUR ENEMIES!" Then, all three bit into their hands, drawing blood.

As soon as they bit into their hands, three lightning bolts struck the three at once. Bones and muscles protruded from them, extending into a 20 meter tall Titan. The three friends were wrapped around the nape of the large Titan, bringing the Titan to life. The three now shared the same vision. The same hearing. The same mind. They were one and the same. A fusion of the three friends. They had successfully created the Fusion Titan.

 _What is that?!_ Bertolt thought. _How is that possible?!_

 _They have combined their powers...into one Titan?!_ Annie exclaimed in her mind.

The Fusion Titan roared. It looked to be a mixture of the three Titans. It had the Berserker Titan's jawline, the body structure of the Morphing Titan, and had wings just like the Winged Titan. The Fusion Titan dashed forward, grabbing both the Armored Titan and the Female Titan by the neck, and flew up into the sky, directly towards the Colossal Titan. It roared again, setting itself on fire, burning the two Titans in its grip. Using the other Titans as boxing gloves, it punched the Colossal Titan in the face, making it stagger backwards. _So strong!_ Bertolt exclaimed. _Where did this strength come from?!_

The Fusion Titan threw the other two Titans to the ground, blood flying from their mouths. The Fusion Titan came soaring down, slamming on top of the Armored Titan, crushing its armor. _Gah!_ Reiner yelled. _M-My armor...!_

The Colossal Titan roared, slamming its fist down on top of the Fusion Titan. However, the Fusion Titan morphed a sword from its hand, and sliced the fingers off of the hand. It then picked up the Colossal Titan by the arm, and slammed flew up into the sky, pulling the Colossal Titan with it, and, roaring, slammed the Colossal Titan down on top of the Female and Armored Titans.

Determined to kill the three Titan Shifters on the ground, the Fusion Titan came diving down, both arms morphed into swords, and in one clean sweep, cut through the three napes of the defeated Titan Shifters. Blood splattered everywhere as the Titans bodies disintegrated.

Soon, all that was left was the three Titan Shifters themselves, staring in fear at the monster in front of them. _It's over._ Armin's voice played in the Fusion Titan's mind. _We need to stop._

 _No!_ Now Eren's voice was there. _We can't! They deserve to die!_

 _Eren!_ Mikasa said. _We can't have any arguments. Otherwise we'll lose control of the Titan!_

It was too late, however, as the argument between the three friends caused them to lose control of the Fusion Titan. It roared, slamming its arms down on Reiner, Bertolt and Annie. _No!_ Armin yelled. _Damn it, Eren! We can't control its movements anymore!_

When the Titan lifted up its arms, however, the three Titan Shifters were gone. No blood, no guts, no body. Nothing. It was as if they were erased from existence. _Where...where did they go?_ Eren asked.

 _We have bigger problems._ Mikasa said. _The Fusion Titan...it's rampaging._

 _What?!_ It was true. The Fusion Titan was running around, roaring no matter what the three tried, they couldn't get the Titan back under their control.

 _What are we going to do?!_ Armin exclaimed. _If we don't stop it now, who knows what'll happen to it?!_

 _I don't know how to stop it, though!_ Eren yelled. _I don't think it can be-_

"Damn it, you kids." They heard a voice from behind them. Suddenly, light was shone on the three of them as the nape of the Fusion Titan was expertly cut open, freeing the three childhood friends from their Titan. There, standing on the sulking back of the Fusion Titan, was Levi, battered and bloody, but alive. "I thought I could stop babysitting you by now. Turns out not." He pulled the three out of the now disintegrating Titan, and brought them down to the ground. As the three started to fall asleep, Levi said one last thing. "You did good, kids."

* * *

"Wh-Where are we?" Bertolt asked.

Reiner looked around, confused. They were about to be crushed by the Fusion Titan that Eren, Mikasa and Armin somehow managed to create, and then suddenly, shadows surrounded the three, and pulled them here.

"You are in the planet's core." A voice came from in the darkness. A man stepped out, wearing a long, black cloak. "I'm Hraevir, pleasure to meet you."

"The planet's...core?" Bertolt said.

"What do you want with us?" Reiner growled.

"Whoa, easy. I just want to recruit you to join our army. The Dumari Kingdom's army, to be exact."

"Dumari...?" Annie asked.

"It's the kingdom of My Lady, Queen Eviela. We want you because of your...gifts. We want the power of the Titans on our side, especially for the final part of our plan."

"This sounds fishy." Reiner said. "Why grab us, a bunch of kids, when you could just as easily have grabbed Zeke, or someone like him?"

"Zeke was...not available." Hraevir said.

"Even if we were to join," Bertolt said. "Why should we? What's in it for us?"

"I'll show you." Hraevir said. He snapped his fingers, and the shadows retracted. Reiner's eyes widened.

"Ch-Christa..." He said. Christa was in a tub of water, completely naked, only wearing an oxygen mask around her mouth to allow her to breath.

"Oh, this girl's name isn't Christa." Hraevir said. "No, no. Her name is actually Historia Reiss. She's been lying to you, I see."

"R-Reiss?!" Annie exclaimed.

"We captured her and that Ymir girl a few minutes before we got you." Hraevir explained. "Ymir was quick to join on. Let's see how quick you are. We have a certain scientist with us that just loves to experiment with human bodies. They interest him, you see. I convinced him, however, to keep this one in a hibernation state, at least for the time being. Work with us, and she's free once our goals our met. Don't join, and you'll die, as well as the girl."

Bertolt looked to Annie and Reiner, nervous. "No, we-" Annie started.

"We'll do it." Reiner said, cutting off Annie.

"Reiner!" Annie said harshly. "She's a Reiss! Our target!"

"I don't care." Reiner said. "To me, that's Christa, the sweet girl we trained with in our trainee days. I don't care if she's a Reiss. She doesn't deserve to die."

"But-"

"Ah, good choice." Hraevir said. "Now then, down that hall, you'll find Ymir. You'll be spending the majority of your time in that hall with her." He started pushing them down the said hall. "There is one thing we want you to practice while you're there."

"And...just what is that?" Bertolt asked, a bit nervously.

"You saw it in action, didn't you?" Hraevir asked. "See if you can create the Fusion Titan between you four. I don't want to see any of you until then, OK? Well, good bye!" Hraevir waved to them, then shut the door behind the three, the door disappearing as soon as he shut it.

"So, they brought you in as well, huh?" A voice said behind them. The three Titan Shifters turned around to find Ymir sitting down.

"Ymir..." Annie said.

Ymir sighed. "We have a lot to do, don't we?"

* * *

Cloud coughed. "We're running out of air..." He said with a raspy voice.

"I know." Shulk said. "We ran out of food, as well."

"How long until the rescue party comes for us, Shulk?"

"I don't know." Shulk said. He looked up to the ceiling, straining to hear of any sign that people were looking for them. He couldn't find any. "It could be today, a few days from now, or even a week. I'm not even sure how long it's been since we were trapped down here."

Cloud nodded. "Erwin's still asleep." he said. "He's still breathing, but... If he isn't treated soon, he won't stay alive, Shulk."

Shulk sighed. "I don't know what to say...my Shield enchantment is going out. Once it does, my legs will be gone for good."

They were silent for a bit, until Cloud started dozing off. "Stay awake." Shulk said sharply. "If you fall asleep you may not wake back up, and I can't come over there to make sure you'll still be alive."

"You say that every time." Cloud complained. "How come you're not tired?"

"I can feel the future." Shulk said. "Meaning I feel the effects sleep has on me, even when I'm not sleeping."

"That must be nice to have." Cloud said. They were quiet once again, until Cloud once more started dozing off.

"Cloud, get back up." Shulk said. Cloud didn't respond. "Cloud? Cloud!"

 _I can't move to see if he's OK._ Shulk thought, looking nervous. _For all I know, he could've died, and I couldn't have done anything about it._

"Come on, someone." Shulk said. "Anyone, please, come down here. There are two men on the verge of death, and they need your help. PLEASE, SOMEONE COME DOWN!"

"Hey, I think I heard someone!" A faint voice came from above.

"Quick, keep digging!"

Shulk smiled. "Good. They're finally here." Shulk was lying to Cloud when he said he wasn't tired. He really was tired, but wouldn't admit it. He just would've felt guilty falling asleep when he ordered Cloud to stay awake. Finally letting himself fall asleep, he caught the little glimpse of sunlight just as his eyes closed.

* * *

Eren sat up suddenly, gasping for air. "Eren!" A voice said next to him. He looked to his left, seeing Mikasa sitting up as well. It took him a while to realize that they were put in the same bed. If he wasn't so sore, he would've jumped straight out of his bed.

"M-Mikasa!" Eren yelled, a small blush on his cheeks. "Wh-What are you doing in my bed?!"

Mikasa shrugged. "You looked cold, so I decided to warm you up." Was her only reply.

"Th-That doesn't mean you just jump into my bed!" Eren said.

"You're awake, Eren." Eren heard Armin, laying in the bed to his right, looking at him. "Looks like we're still alive, huh?"

Eren smiled. "Yeah. We are." The three tried to get out of the beds, sore, but able to move. They walked down the hallway, still trying to figure out where they were.

"Shulk!" A voice called from down the hallway. "You can't put pressure on your legs yet! Ah! You idiot, Shulk!"

The three ended up crossing paths with Shulk and Fiora, Shulk's wife. Fiora was helping Shulk into a wheelchair, all while scolding him about putting weight on his legs.

"What happened?" Armin asked. The couple looked to see Eren, Armin and Mikasa down the hallway.

"Oh, you're awake!" Fiora said. "Thank goodness. We were getting worried you may never wake up."

"To answer your question, Armin, I broke both of my legs." Shulk said. "The day the Capital was attacked, I was trapped underneath some rubble with Cloud and Erwin. My legs were pinned, but thankfully only broken. What you just saw now was me trying to put weight on it."

"Even though Sharla clearly said to _not_ put any weight on it until she said otherwise!" Fiora said. "Honestly..."

"Where are we now?" Mikasa asked.

Shulk and Fiora looked at each other, then looked back at the three friends. "Well, we're on our ship. The Skywind." Shulk said. "We're currently on our way to our next destination."

Fiora looked at their shocked faces with worry. "We're sorry we couldn't get you to say goodbye to all your friends. We had to leave straight away, though."

"Why?" Eren asked.

"Well..." Shulk said.

* * *

 _Shulk woke up, finding himself in a hospital bed. "Ah, Shulk!" A familiar voice said beside him. It was Fiora. "You're awake!" She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I was so worried when they found you pinned under some rubble..."_

 _"Welcome back." Another familiar voice. Cloud was also in the back, looking healthier than when they were in the small man-made cave._

 _Shulk took in his surroundings. Standing in the back he saw Reyn, Robin, Lucina, Levi, Tracer and Genji there. To his left were four more hospital beds. In one each was Erwin, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. Each one was in a deep slumber, except for Erwin, who was sitting up, reading a book, now missing his right arm._

 _"What happened?" Shulk asked, though he already knew. He still thought it polite to ask, even if he could see what actually happened._

 _"We won." Was all Levi said. That was good enough. It was everything that needed to be said._

 _"Good." Shulk said. "Let me guess, my legs are broken?"_

 _Reyn nodded. "It'll be a while until you'll be able ta stand; at least, that's what Sharla said."_

 _Shulk nodded. He figured they would be broken, but it still pained him to hear it confirmed._

 _"Right now the rest of the Xenocrossers are cleaning up the debris left behind." Robin said._

 _"Xenocrossers?" Shulk asked._

 _"It's a name he came up with." Lucina said, smiling at her husband. "I kind of like it. How about you?"_

 _"I love it, actually." Shulk said. "It didn't feel right not having a name to associate ourselves as."_

 _"Aside from that, Cid went around and set up Deeprealm portals in all major cities within the walls." Cloud said. "So that part of our missions done. Cid says we're ready to leave whenever."_

 _"And we need to leave soon." Tracer said._

 _"I have received a message from Overwatch's organizer, Winston." Genji said. "I will play it for you now." He pulled out a device similar to scrolls form Remnant, and played a video on its screen. The video showed a silver back gorilla, wearing some sort of space gear, speaking into the camera. "All Overwatch agents!" The gorilla said. "If you recdive this message, please, come back to Watchpoint Gibraltar immediately! We have a situation, and I have a feeling we need all the help we can get!" The transmission ended._

 _"As you can see, Genji and I have to get back as quickly as possible." Tracer said. "I hate to ask this of you, but we have no way back by ourselves. Could you..."_

 _"We would like to ask you to take us to Gibraltar as quickly as possible." Genji finished._

 _"I would love to, but..." He glanced over to Armin, Eren and Mikasa. "I promised that those three would come with us."_

 _"And they will." Erwin said, speaking for the first time._

 _"But...don't you need them?" Fiora asked. "Don't you need them to help rebuild?"_

 _"Rebuilding won't be needed too much anymore." Erwin said. "Thanks to your...portals, we can now leave to worlds free of Titans. Many people have already left. While some people will stay behind, most will undoubtedly see the worlds they're missing out on. You'll need those three and their abilities more then we will."_

 _"But..." Fiora looked like she was about to argue more, but Shulk stopped her. "All right, I understand." Shulk said. "Robin, Lucina, Cloud, could you load them and their beds up in the Skywind? We'll be taking off once all of us are on board."_

 _"Roger." Cloud said. The three each grabbed one of the beds, and wheeled them outside. Reyn, Tracer and Genji followed close behind._

 _"Fiora, could you help me into a wheelchair?" Fiora nodded, and grabbed a wheelchair from the corner, and, being careful of Shulk's legs, got him into the wheelchair, and started wheeling him out._

 _"Thank you, Shulk." Erwin said. Shulk looked back to Erwin, seeing him smile for the first time. "For everything you've done. Not just for me, but for all of us, inside the walls."_

 _Shulk nodded. "It's what we do." He simply said. Before he left, though, Levi spoke up. "Not so fast." He said._

 _Shulk once again turned towards Levi. "And you?"_

 _"I want to come with you." Levi said. "The Survey Corps won't be doing too much fighting anymore, and I ain't any good in anything but fighting. So let me come with you."_

 _Shulk studied Levi for a bit. "That's not the only reason you want to come, isn't it?" Levi's eyes widened a little. Shulk shrugged. "Well it doesn't matter to me, anyway. You're an amazing fighter, so of course I want you to come with us. Only if it's OK with Erwin over there."_

 _"I already told him I'd be coming with you, no matter what your answer would've been."_

 _"Hurry up and get going, then." Shulk said. "You know where the ship is, right? Get in, and you're officially a Xenocrosser."_

 _Levi nodded, then left the room. "Be careful with him." Erwin said. "He's strong, but he has lost a lot in his life. Be careful how you treat him."_

 _Shulk nodded. "What's the Survey Corps' plan from now?"_

 _"We're going to do what we do best; surveying. We'll explore some of these worlds you've now linked us to, gather new materials, maybe even find a way to get rid of Titans."_

 _Shulk smiled. "No doubt our paths will cross, then. Well, good bye, Erwin. May we meet again."_

 _"May we meet again, and good luck." Erwin said. Fiora pushed Shulk out of the room, and to the Skywind._

 _As they loaded up, they were greeted by the rest of the Survey Corps. "So, you're going, huh?" Hanji asked. "Best of luck, Levi!"_

 _Levi said nothing in return, but flinched when Hanji gave him a friendly hug. He didn't hug her back, but didn't push her away, either._

 _"Good luck!" Sasha yelled as the doors to the Skywind closed._

 _"Don't die!" Connie yelled as well._

 _"And bring back good news!" Jean yelled. "We'll be waiting." And then, the Skywind took off, leaving the walls behind._

* * *

"And there you have it." Shulk said. "Speaking of which, go down this hall to the right, and you'll end up in the cockpit. Look out the windows while you're there."

"Thank you, Shulk." Eren said. "For having us come with you."

"Not a problem." Shulk said. "Now hurry. Or else you may miss it."

The three friends ran past the couple, heading down to the cockpit. When they reached it, they found Levi staring out of one of the massive windows. They walked over to him, and found themselves staring at something amazing.

It was the sea. It was huge, waves roaring below them, water as far as the eye could see. They stared with their mouths gaping. "It's...beautiful..." Armin said.

"Yeah, it is..." Mikasa nodded.

"This is what we signed up for." Levi said. "While we will definitely see amazing things such as this, we'll also run into many, many awful things. I hope you kids are ready for it."

"We will be." Eren said. "We have to be, with all these other warriors with us."

Levi nodded, then stepped away from the window, walking out of the cockpit.

"I'm excited." Armin said. "I was scared at first when you explained to me what we would be doing, but now..."

"It's worth it." Mikasa said. "It was a good choice we made, the three of us."

"Yeah, it was." Eren said. "And I have a feeling it'll only get better from here."

* * *

"So, why did you run?" Zeke, the Beast Titan asked Acnologia, who had now returned to a human form. They were back in Acnologia's cave, somewhere in his "sector,"tending to their wounds.

Acnologia was quiet. And then, "I saw them." He said. "My childhood heroes."

Zeke raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said they were dead."

"I know. But they're not. I'm not sure how, but...they're not."

"They'll be coming to your sector eventually, Dragon Seer. You'll need to be able to fight them."

Acnologia sighed. "I know. I absolutely hate to do this, but I saved you, so now you owe me a favor, Titan Seer Zeke Jaeger."

"And just what would that be?" Zeke asked.

"You felt that huge magic power, I presume?"

"That's right."

"I need you to help me kill the source of that power." Acnologia said. "The man named Shulk."

 **A/N: Done...finally. I'm finally getting into the groove of things, so hopefully chapters will be coming out faster then before. Things are getting interesting, and I have a lot more surprises planned in the future. Stay tuned!**


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